An inspiring new free exhibition celebrating Dundee’s role in medical design and innovation has opened at V&A Dundee.
Ninewells Hospital: Care, Community and Innovation (until Sunday 14 September 2025) explores the breadth of design at Ninewells, from the architecture of the hospital itself to the groundbreaking, life-changing innovations developed within its walls and across Tayside.
As the first hospital in the UK to embed a medical school within its design, Ninewells Hospital, which celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, pioneered a forward-thinking approach to healthcare. Its innovative architecture allowed for future expansion and, remarkably, ensured every floor had ground-level access thanks to its slope-side location.
Told through an interactive, visual timeline dating back to 1798, the free exhibition also highlights some of Dundee and Tayside’s broader medical milestones, alongside the breakthroughs and contributions of visionary individuals. The timeline showcases globally significant advancements in personalised medicine, education, and research – from keyhole surgery and smear tests to innovations in cancer care – many of which stem from the University of Dundee’s close ties to the hospital and have shaped the delivery of everyday care worldwide.
With people at its core, the exhibition celebrates the stories and experiences of those who make Ninewells Hospital what it is today. Films featuring a cross-section of staff – from anaesthetists and nurses to porters and chefs – are shown alongside evocative artwork capturing hospital life during the pandemic, from both staff and patient perspectives. Visitors will be invited to share their own memories of Ninewells Hospital, contributing to a changing display that reflects the hospital’s enduring impact on the community.
The exhibition also features a fascinating array of surgical artefacts and medical instruments, including prototype keyhole surgery tools designed at Ninewells, where this groundbreaking technique was pioneered. Many of these items have been generously donated by NHS Tayside and the Tayside Medical History Museum.
The essential role of design in developing bespoke mobility aids will be showcased through a spotlight on the Tayside Orthopaedic Rehabilitation Technology Centre, the only facility in Scotland to offer in-house assessment, design, and production of custom prosthetics, orthotics, and mobility aids.
To illustrate the evolution of design techniques, a prosthetic leg made in Dundee, crafted from wood and metal in 1947, will be displayed alongside a contemporary prosthetic leg featuring a Bluetooth microprocessor created specifically for the exhibition. A new film explores the intersection of traditional craft techniques and modern healthcare through the creation of mobility aids.
Researchers’ prototype designs will also exemplify the hospital’s continued role in shaping the future of healthcare, all made possible through the University of Dundee’s world-leading research facilities and collaboration with NHS Tayside.
Louise Dickson, Assistant Curator at V&A Dundee, said: “Dundee has long been home to medical innovation, changing lives across the globe. From pioneers in IVF and keyhole surgery to revolutionary hospital design, the exhibition showcases the city's ongoing legacy of progress and care. It highlights how Ninewells Hospital continues to evolve, delivering healthcare around the clock to thousands of people.
“Most people living in Dundee or Tayside have a connection to Ninewells. Whether you or a family member were born there, studied there, or know someone who has been treated there, it touches all of us. This exhibition will spark memories, pride and powerful conversations, but its story doesn’t end here. Dundee and Tayside continue to inspire and influence the future of healthcare worldwide and, as Scotland’s design museum, we are delighted to celebrate that.”
Amongst the voices told within the new exhibition is Dr Christina Beecroft from NHS Tayside.
Dr Christina Beecroft, Associate Medical Director, Surgical Division, NHS Tayside, said: “I am delighted to have been part of this amazing exhibition celebrating the past 50 years of Ninewells Hospital. Dundee, and Tayside, can quite rightly be very proud of Ninewells.
“It is a fantastic hospital that has been at the forefront of some of the most major developments in medicine and surgery over the past 50 years. More importantly, it is a fundamental part of the community and locally integral to all our lives, both as patients and members of the wonderful teams that work there.”
The exhibition is supported by the NHS Tayside Charitable Foundation and Michelin Corporate Foundation.
Ninewells Hospital: Care, Community and Innovation, a collaboration with Ninewells Hospital, NHS Tayside, Tayside Medical History Museum and NHS Tayside Charitable Foundation, is on show at V&A Dundee. Free to enter, the exhibition runs until Sunday 14 September 2025.
For more information, visit https://vam.ac.uk/dundee/whatson