This medal was given to Linda M. Randall (nee St. Leger Chambers) in 1968 for winning the first prize at Worcester Royal Infirmary's Student Nurse Training School. In the same year she also won the Highest Aggregate, the Nursing Examination, George Hooper Prize for Surgery and Surgical Nursing, George Hooper Prize for Medicine and Medical Nursing and the Gynaecology and Gynaecological Nursing prize.
Tom Bates (the younger) was Hon. Surgeon at the Worcester Royal Infirmary between 1909-1943. One medical and one surgical children's ward were named Bates as memorial to him. However, when Linda donated the badge with associated programme, it led to a flurry of activity to find out who George Hooper was!
WHAT WE FOUND OUT
Rev. George Francis Hooper, Clerk in Holy Orders, Resident Chaplain at St. Oswald's Almshouses, The Tything (Worcester), died on 4th September 1934 and in his will dated 24th December 1931, he made a bequest.
In summary: 'The George Hooper Prize Fund' originated in a bequest of £100 in the will of the Rev. George Francis Hooper. This money was left to Mr. Tom Bates, the younger, for use in the Worcester Royal Infirmary and Mr. Bates in agreement with the then Hospital Committee in 1935 decided that it should provide prizes for Nurses at an annual competitive examination. This lapsed in ten years and no further competitive examination was held. In 1964 the fund was brought into use again to provide Nurses prizes and now two named George Hooper Prizes were awarded annually. The Worcester Royal Infirmary Nurses' League has informed us that the last prize giving ceremony with medals and prizes was 1985 and held at the Worcester District School of Nursing. In 1986 there was a presentation of certificates only at the Worcester College of Higher Education (now University of Worcester).