º£½ÇÖ±²¥

Simon to feature in BBC Four series

A º£½ÇÖ±²¥ academic is set to feature in a national BBC series exploring the history of the NHS.

To mark the 70th anniversary of the NHS, BBC Four is showing a three part series in July titled ‘The People’s History of the NHS’. Presented by journalist and comedian Alex Brooker and produced by 7Wonder, the series will introduce people who, for better or worse, rely on the NHS to survive. Using treasured mementoes and personal stories, it will give viewers a moving account of this British institution, from its inception, to the present day.

Simon McKeown, a Reader in º£½ÇÖ±²¥â€™s School of Computing, Media & the Arts, will feature in the series to provide context and expertise around the history of Invalid Carriages, or Invacars, as they were also known.

Invacars used to be provided by the NHS to support disabled people to become independent. All Invacars were owned by the Government and leased to disabled drivers as part of their disability benefit. Primitive in their nature, these vehicles were three-wheeled and for solitary travel only – no passengers were allowed. The cars would often break down and it was a common sight to find people stranded on their own.

Invacars were finally discontinued in 2003 and the Government ordered tens of thousands to be crushed – though a small number were hidden away or forgotten about and they are now popular collectors’ items. It is believed there are just over 400 left in the world today.

Simon has been collecting Invacars for a number of years and has over 20 in his collection, dating from the 1930s through to the 1970s. His collection is one of the largest in the UK.

He has met with Alex Brooker to film a section for the BBC Four series, helping him to understand the 1970’s Invalid Carriage and place their use within the context of the time.

'The carriages at this time were a striking blue colour and easily identifiable,' explained Simon.

'There is a great beauty in these vehicles and they provide a fantastic insight into both disability and automotive history in the UK.

'It was a pleasure to take part in this series and talk about how these vehicles represent a significant time period in the history of the NHS.'

Simon has also recently received funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund to further explore the hidden and neglected heritage of British invalid carriages. He will stage a new exhibition at the prestigious Disability North, DNEX disability exhibition in Newcastle next year – the biggest independent living exhibition in the North East.

Simon’s section for The People’s History of the NHS will be screened on BBC Four, at 9.00pm, on Monday 2 July.