News archive

In the early 1950s a group of Mildmay doctors and nurses lined up in the sunshine for the camera. More than seventy years on, one of our supporters has kindly lent us her photographs, complete with the names of almost everyone in them. Take a look at Mildmay as it was when it stood on Austin Street, and let us know if you recognise a face.

The Auxiliary Bishop of Westminster joined staff and patients at Mildmay Hospital for coffee and lunch in the garden, describing Mildmay as "a real family".

A letter turned up in our chapel vestry, left by a visitor with no way to trace her. Written to our chaplain, Sister Bernie, it tells the story of Monika, a young nurse at Mildmay in 1982 who went on to serve ten years as a missionary in Pakistan and who returned this year, 44 years on, to show her own family where it all began.

Adelaide trained as a nurse and midwife at Mildmay in the 1920s, then spent twenty years as a medical missionary in the Belgian Congo, building hospitals from scratch and once saving a man gored by an elephant with fifty sutures and no anaesthetic. She returned to England in 1944, fostered seven children of fellow missionaries, and lived to 86. Her son, a retired consultant surgeon, has written a book about her life. Part of our Staff Stories archive.

Zero HIV Stigma Day reminds us that ending HIV is about more than medicine. As Mildmay develops its international partnerships, we remain committed to supporting compassionate HIV care wherever it is needed. Read our hospital team's reflections on why stigma still matters.

In June 1943, Peter Jones had been a qualified doctor for one day when his phone rang. An old friend needed a locum at Mildmay - immediately. Peter got on his pushbike and cycled through the City. By that evening, he was in sole charge of a critically ill two-year-old in the pre-antibiotic era, working from a textbook, in a hospital surrounded by Blitz ruins.

Mildmay Hospital has published its 2025/26 Quality Account, outlining how we monitor, maintain and continually improve the quality of the specialist care we provide. The report reviews progress over the past year, sets priorities for further improvement and demonstrates our commitment to safe, effective and compassionate care.

In 1904, a young Irish woman named Norah Hughes arrived at Mildmay to train as a nurse. She left three years later, qualified and engaged to a junior doctor, after a hidden note, a ward fire, and a matron who surprised everyone. She went on to spend two decades in China, training nurses and running a medical mission. Her story is now part of our Staff Stories archive.

In 1955, Pam arrived at Mildmay as a student nurse. She trained across three sites, Mildmay, the London Hospital, and Kingston, living in cold rooms near Shoreditch Church and a concrete hostel in Hoxton. She remembers ward walls lined with Bible texts, daily Quiet Time, and the grey cape with its purple lining that was recognised across east London. Seventy years on, her memories are sharp, warm, and anchored in a hospital that was already something singular.

On 17 June 2026, Mildmay's CEO Geoff Coleman joined First Rail London, Vistry Group and community artists Artyface at South Acton station to unveil a new mosaic mural on the Mildmay line. Made by hundreds of local residents over summer 2025, the artwork celebrates the line named after our hospital in 2024, recognising our pioneering HIV/AIDS care and over 160 years of service to east London. Read the full story on our blog.

Last Wednesday, Rushanara Ali MP told the Prime Minister that Mildmay, where Diana, Princess of Wales made 17 visits to help break the stigma around HIV and AIDS, is at risk of closure due to NHS commissioning issues. Sir Keir Starmer called Mildmay "synonymous with extraordinary care and compassion" and committed to a meeting to address the concerns raised. With the 30th anniversary of Diana's death next year, we explain what's at stake - and why Mildmay's empty beds matter

After 18 months volunteering at Mildmay; on the wards and behind the scenes, Leo is moving on. Before he left, he wrote about what he saw: not dramatic moments, but the consistent kindness of staff who show up with genuine compassion every day. His words are a remarkable tribute to everyone at Mildmay, and a reminder of why volunteers matter to us.