This is a collection of over 2000 volumes and hundreds of pamphlets, covering the history of medicine and a broad range of medical subjects. The collection is rich in seventeenth, eighteenth and nineteenth-century works.

It includes books from the medical library of noted South Shields doctor T.M. Winterbottom (1766-1859), and highlights include Erasmus Darwin's Zoonomia (1794), John Abercrombie's Pathological and Practical Researches on Diseases of the Brain and Spinal Cord (1828), considered to have been the first textbook on Neuropathology, and several works by the famed botanist, humanist and physician Herman Boerhaave (1668-1738).

Includes Sir Liam's Special Reports Unfinished Business: Proposals for Reform of the Senior House Officer Grade , and Medical Schools: Delivering the Doctors of the Future.

Also includes other material specifically relating to medical education and training.

The medical tracts contain a series of 129 bound volumes of pamphlets relating to medical matters. These matters include, but are not limited to, addresses from the Royal College of Physicians, along with new research and hypotheses about ailments, symptoms, consequences and cures. There is also a small collection of 'History of Medicine' quarterly magazines, and the occasional instance of a stand alone pamphlet, such as 'Four Centuries of Anatomy,' by Frederick Pybus, A professional biography of William Harvey, and the '1st spasmodic cholera epidemic in York,' published by the Borthwick Institute, York.

Health issues covered in this report include;

Progress on 2001 and 2002 recommendations;

The harmful effects of smoking on people's skin;

The economic impact of smoke-free public places and work-places;

The importance of early detection and diagnosis of HIV;

A review of academic medicine and medical research;

And use of blood and safety in blood transfusions.

Also included is a regional focus on some local problems, trends and initiatives across England.

This annual report celebrates 150 years of the Annual Report of the Chief Medical Officer for England by looking at the historical context of the first annual report in 1858, a comparative analysis between the health of the nation in 1858 and 2008 and the continued relevance of some of the issues discussed, such as epidemics, vaccination and competency of healthcare professionals.

Health issues covered in this report include;

Progress on previous years' recommendations;

The effects of passive drinking on families and society and the need for minimum pricing on alcohol units as an immediate priority;

The need for greater research and counselling in regards to prostate cancer;

Greater action on chronic pain through assessment and inclusion on training curriculums;

Minimising antimicrobial resistance through awareness campaigns and other initiatives;

And making medical practice safer by introducing simulation-based training.

Also included is a regional focus on some local problems, trends and initiatives across England.

Includes Sir Liam's Special Reports Report of a Census of Organs and Tissues Retained by Pathology Services in England and The Removal, Retention and Use of Human Organs and Tissue from Post-Mortem Examination . Also includes other material specifically related to organ and tissue retention.

Includes Sir Liam's Special Report At Least Five a Week: Evidence on the Impact of Physical Activity and its Relationship to Health and other material specifically related to the benefits of physical activity to health.

Consists of 66 powerpoint presentations, including notes, used by Sir Liam during speeches and presentations given during his time as Chief Medical Officer regarding both general and specific types of Infectious and Non-Infectious Diseases and topics regarding the Medical Profession; specifically Medical education, training and workforce, roles in the medical profession and poor clinical performance, revalidation and regulation.

Also includes presentations given by others which support Sir Liam's campaigns.

Consists of 56 powerpoint presentations, including notes, used by Sir Liam during speeches and presentations given during his time as Chief Medical Officer regarding his Special Reports, campaigns and other areas of work. Topics include organ and tissue retention , Annual Reports, Expert Medical Witnesses in Family Law Cases, outbreaks of foot and mouth disease (Aphtae epizooticae), the MMR vaccine, pandemic influenza outbreaks (including the H1N1 'Swine Flu'), and stem cell research.

Consists of 68 Powerpoint presentations, including notes, used by Sir Liam during speeches and presentations given during his time as Chief Medical Officer regarding the National Health Service and other Healthcare Service topics, specifically change management and improvement, clinical governance and quality, and the history of the NHS, health services and medicine.