During the First World War, she used 2nd Western General Hospital as a base, and had the assistance of St John Ambulance, the Voluntary Aid Detachment (VADs) and the Red Cross.

[3] On 14 July 1885, when Sparshott was not yet fifteen years old, her mother Margaret died,[4][5][6][nb 2] after suffering "acute mania" for twelve days, followed by exhaustion.

[7][8] In 1929, at the age of 59, Sparshott retired from her employment as matron, receiving an annual pension of £300 (equivalent to £23,037 in 2023) and removed to 49 Avenue Road, Penge, London.

[9][11][nb 4] Her will was proved on 10 December 1940; she left £1,648 8s 1d (equivalent to £113,696.07 in 2023), her brother William Romaine Sparshott being named as executor.

[10][16] "Miss Sparshott's administrative ability and the energy and skill of her nursing staff were stretched to the utmost during the war years.

They were temporarily suspended, but after a minor contretemps and an apology, they were formally forgiven by Sparshott, who had "an excellent sense of humour".

[16] In 1919, "with a development of the humour associated with the initiation", the nurses of the MRI, headed by Sparshott, presented Mrs Howard Clay, mayoress of Halifax, West Yorkshire, with a "wretched black minorca cockerel".

The gift was to form the nucleus of the mayoress's projected white elephant stall at a bazaar in aid of the Nation's Fund for Nurses.

On 28 July 1916, a meeting of 600 people, led by Sparshott, took place in the MRI outpatient department, where it was decided that a Bill would be "presented to Parliament to promote the foundation of the College".

[17] After the First World War ended, "she challenged standards of pay and emoluments", and she campaigned for a system in which nurse-teachers trained probationer nurses.

[16] Sparshott was elected to the College council in 1923, coming "top of the poll", but had to obtain special permission to attend the requisite three meetings per month, due to her responsibilities as matron of the MRI.

[25] The RCN commented as follows:[13] Sparshott was a committed supporter of the College of Nursing (member no.11) and state registration from the start in 1916.

[13]Sparshott was awarded the Royal Red Cross First Class in 1916 for her work in the Territorial Force Nursing Service in the First World War,[13][26][27] and was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1919 Birthday Honours.

[13] This building was completed in 1930, and was named Sparshott House in her memory,[29][nb 6] and there is a blue plaque on the hospital in her honour.