PEOPLE are being invited next week to take a behind-the-scenes tour of an operating theatre, meet a wide range of medical experts and learn how to carry out emergency first aid.

The occasion is a free open day at Royal Hampshire County Hospital in Winchester.

Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust will throw open the doors to the hospital on Romsey Road between 10am and 2pm next Saturday, June 18.

Former Southampton footballer Dan Harding, who now plays for Eastleigh, will officially open the event, with a range of attractions available across the hospital.

Maps of the hospital will be available from the outpatients department, as well as interactive displays.

Visitors can take a tour of the old chapel, viewing old artefacts including a lamp used by Florence Nightingale, enjoy a cup of tea and a slice of cake with the trust chaplin, or watch a demonstration of the way decontamination tents and suits work, and listen to NHS experts, who will be giving talks on dementia and nutrition.

People can also learn about operating theatres, taking a tour around areas rarely seen by the public, meet Pets as Therapy dogs, have your picture taken with a motorbike used to transport blood, or learn the basics of emergency first aid.

Hospital play specialists, who usually help and support young patients, are putting on children’s activities too, where they can learn about X-rays and anatomy.

Elizabeth Padmore, chairman of Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “It promises to be a fun-packed day, with activities to keep the whole family entertained. It’s a great chance for the public to get a look behind the scenes at their local hospital, speak to some of our medical experts and learn about the great work that goes on in the trust.

“I’m very much looking forward to it, and I would encourage people to come along and enjoy what should be a really good event.”