IT was a special day which gave a rare glimpse behind the scenes of a Hampshire hospital.

Hundreds of people including ex-Saints and current Eastleigh FC left back Dan Harding got the chance to meet medical experts, tour an operating theatre and even carry out keyhole surgery at Royal Hampshire County Hospital.

Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust threw open the doors to the hospital on Saturday.

More than 200 people enjoyed the event, they discovered the history of the hospital in Romsey Road and saw various artefacts including a lamp used by Florence Nightingale.

They also watched demonstrations of how the decontamination tents and suits work, listened to talk by experts on dementia and nutrition, access rarely seen areas and some even wore a special suit to give them the feeling of being 90-years-old.

Mary Edwards, Chief Executive at Hampshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said: “Our open day at Royal Hampshire County Hospital was a great success.

“Everyone I spoke to said they found it fascinating and really enjoyed the opportunity to go behind the scenes of a working hospital.

“I would personally like to thank all of our staff who helped make the day such a success, and the organisations that support us and who came along to share information about their work. I would like to thank Dan Harding for speaking so highly of our services and for officially opening the event.

“Most of all I'd like to thank all of the visitors and staff, and their families, for coming along to find out more about our services. It is fantastic to have the support of the community and to see how interested local people are in what we do.