A new plaque finally honouring two nurses who played pivotal roles in the birth of the first IVF baby has been unveiled at Royal Oldham Hospital.
Louise Brown was born at the Oldham hospital on July 25, 1978 – exactly 30 years after the NHS was created.
She was the world's first in-vitro fertilised (IVF) baby, a procedure that has gone on to help millions of women become pregnant.
A previous plaque commemorating the work had been criticized as it only mentioned two men involved by name – Patrick Steptoe and Dr Robert Edwards – with thanks also given to ‘their supporting staff.’
Cabinet Member for Health and Social Care, Cllr Zahid Chauhan OBE, unveiled the new plaque to a small audience in the hospital, including Council Leader Cllr Arooj Shah, on Monday.
It honours Jean Purdy, a nurse embryologist, and Sister Muriel Harris, an operating theatre superintendent, both of whom played a significant part in the development of IVF and the birth of Louise Brown.
Speaking to The Oldham Times, Cllr Chauhan said: “When we first discovered that there was a historic injustice done in this town and the two women, Jean and Muriel, were ignored, and their contribution was ignored, we led this campaign and said 'this historic injustice is not allowed, and we will rectify this'.”
David Jago, chief officer at Oldham Care Organisation, which runs the Royal Oldham Hospital, said: “We are immensely proud of the Royal Oldham Hospital’s heritage and the significant contribution the hospital has played in providing local healthcare to the families and communities of Oldham borough and neighbouring areas since the NHS was created.
“Everyone would fully recognise that IVF was a ground-breaking contribution to medical science and has helped hundreds of thousands of couples and families across the world since.
“We have installed this commemorative plaque to recognise not only the crucial role that Jean Purdy played but also that of Sister Muriel Harris, and to ensure our history is not forgotten.”
In 2019 it was revealed that Dr Edwards had protested to the Oldham Area Health Authority in 1981, asking for Jean Purdy’s name to be included.
He wrote: “I feel strongly about the inclusion of the names of the people who helped with the conception of Louise Brown.
“I feel this, especially about Jean Purdy, who travelled to Oldham with me for 10 years and contributed as much as I did to the project.
“Indeed, I regard her as an equal contributor to Patrick Steptoe and myself.”
The plaque is located near the main entrance of the Royal Oldham Hospital.
It was unveiled nearly three years after the council and hospital agreed to take action to correct the inaccuracy – delayed due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
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