News archive

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.

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.

Mildmay’s legacy is celebrated on the newly named London Overground Mildmay line. A plaque at Kew Gardens highlights our journey from 19th-century cholera care to becoming Europe’s first HIV hospital, supported by Princess Diana’s visits. Today, we remain a trusted centre for HIV rehabilitation and holistic care. Spotting this plaquewas a proud reminder of our history, resilience, and ongoing mission.

Ruth Sims CBE, former matron and chief executive, returned to Mildmay this week. Her leadership helped shape our response to HIV and our international programmes in the 1980s and ‘90s. Her visit offered the team a moment to celebrate our progress and ongoing commitment to patient care.

We’ve added Miss Marshall’s death certificate to our archives, honouring her 16 years of service as a Mildmay Deaconess.

Mildmay’s role during the 1980s AIDS crisis is preserved in the National HIV Story Trust Archive at the London Archives.

Today marks a historic moment for Mildmay Hospital, London's transport network and the wider community.

We're reaching out to anyone who worked at Mildmay from 1985 to 1999 – during Mildmay’s pioneering work in caring for people with HIV/AIDS.

The mother of a former nurse shared this photo of Mildmay Mission Hospital circa 1949. This is the Children's Ward kitted out for Christmas

Thank you to Priscilla for writing to tell us about her mother's time at Mildmay and her life thereafter.

By continuing to develop clinical services for patients who are homeless or rough-sleeping, Mildmay is building upon its heritage...