Mark Bostridge at the erection of a statue to Mary Seacole at St Thomas' Hospital in London. In interviews Bostridge explained that he was not opposed to a statue to Seacole but to the siting of it at the hospital where Florence Nightingale founded her nurse training school in 1860, influencing the development of nursing throughout the world. Bostridge argues that Seacole was not a "pioneer nurse" as some of the statue campaigners maintain. He also points to the way in which Nightingale's enormous contributions to public health are now commonly and mistakenly attributed to Seacole by a wide range of British
Florence Nightingale Museum Register of Nurses that lists women who served under Nightingale in the military hospitals in Turkey and the Crimean. Audio tours are free with entry and accessed via a set of stethoscopes. Interactive exhibits have been created to offer different ways of exploring Florence's story and influence. Free creative activities for children are offered during the holidays. There is also a resource centre which is open by appointment to students, academics and other researchers, who may use the museum's collections, books and documents related to Florence Nightingale. The museum is a member of the London Museums of Health & Medicine.