The department is named after Guy Pulvertaft (1907-1986) who was an internationally renowned surgeon at the Derbyshire Royal Infirmary from 1947 until his retirement in 1972. His interest in hand surgery was developed following a period of work in Grimsby where dock workers often received hand injuries followed by work during the II World War with the Royal Air Force. He was the first president of British Society for Surgery of the Hand and the International Federation of Societies for the Surgery of the Hand. He was awarded the CBE for services to hand surgery.

The Pulvertaft Hand Centre at the former Derbyshire Royal Infirmary was opened by Her Majesty the Queen in 1992 where it remained until May 2009.  The unit developed considerably in this time to its current staffing level in intensively cramped conditions. On Thursday 8th of October 2009 the new Pulvertaft Hand Centre was officially unveiled in the Royal Derby Hospital by Mr Roger Pulvertaft and Rear Admiral David Pulvertaft CB, son and nephew of Guy Pulvertaft. Prior to moving, hand picked team of staff were involved in the treatment of Prince William for his fractured index finger from the rugby injury.

Today, The Pulvertaft Hand Centre is considered a long-established specialist hand surgery centre within the Royal Derby Hospital.

The staff of the Pulvertaft Hand Centre work very much as a multi-disciplinary team – there are 11 Consultants, 7 junior doctors from either orthopaedic or plastic surgery backgrounds. It has its own dedicated physiotherapy, nursing and therapy staff with Extended Scope Practitioners, who have their own caseload of patients. It has dedicated day case facilities (ward and theatres) on level 3 of the Kings Treatment Centre. This operates on a Monday to Friday basis.

There is a strong research and postgraduate base within the Unit, with a separate team to deal with these aspects of our work.