Oxford mental health hospital marks 200 years of care

Oxford’s Warneford Hospital is marking its 200th anniversary with a year-long programme exploring the history and evolution of mental health care.

The hospital opened in July 1826 and has remained a working mental health hospital ever since. Today, it is part of Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust and is the oldest functioning inpatient unit in the NHS estate nationally.

The Warneford 200 programme is bringing together exhibitions, talks, creative projects and digital storytelling to explore how approaches to mental health care have changed during the past two centuries and to share the experiences of patients, staff and the wider community.

A touring exhibition is travelling across Oxfordshire throughout 2026, featuring the voices and experiences of patients and staff from the past and present and examining changes in attitudes, treatments and services.

Other activities marking the bicentenary include a new therapy garden, workshops, talks and creative projects. The programme has been supported by a £156,000 grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Dr Karl Marlowe, Chief Medical Officer at Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust and sponsor of the Warneford 200 project, has highlighted the hospital’s origins in an approach centred on treating people with dignity and respect.

The anniversary comes at a significant moment for the Warneford site. Plans for a new £750 million mental health and medical research campus were given the go-ahead by Oxford City Council earlier this year, including a new mental health hospital to replace the existing Warneford Hospital, which is no longer considered suitable for modern services.

The existing Grade II-listed hospital building is planned to be restored and expanded as part of the wider development, giving the historic building a new future after two centuries at the heart of mental health care in Oxfordshire.

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