Royal Lancaster Infirmary

Hospital in North West England

54°02′33″N 2°48′01″W / 54.0425°N 2.8003°W / 54.0425; -2.8003OrganisationCare systemPublic NHSTypeTeachingServicesEmergency departmentYes Accident & EmergencyBeds387^[1]HistoryOpened1781LinksWebsitewww.uhmb.nhs.uk/hospitals/royal-lancaster-infirmary/ListsHospitals in the United Kingdom

The Royal Lancaster Infirmary (RLI) is a hospital in the city of Lancaster, England.^[2]^[3] It lies to the south of the city centre, between the A6 road and the Lancaster Canal. It is managed by the University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust.^[4]

History

The infirmary has its origins in a dispensary which opened on Castle Hill in 1781 and a fever hospital established in 1815.^[5] These two institutions combined in premises in Thurnham Street in 1833.^[5]

A larger site on Ashton Road, which had previously been known as the Springfield Estate,^[6] was bought for £2,471 in 1888^[7] and, following a donation of nearly £10,000 by James Williamson, a local businessman,^[8] the first building of the new hospital, designed by architects Paley and Austin,^[9] was opened by the Duke and Duchess of York in 1896.^[7] The original building is now Grade II listed.^[9] Springfield Hall was retained and used as an overnight nurses' home for the hospital.^[6]

A new maternity unit opened in 1979, the pathology building was added in 1994 and the new centenary building opened in 1996.^[7]

The Huggett Suite, a unit for treating stroke patients built at a cost of £1 million, opened in spring 2017^[10] and a new therapies outpatient department, built at a cost of £1.2 million, opened in 2018.^[11]

Notable staff

Dame Sheila Quinn, DBE, FRCN, RGN, RM, RNT trained as a nurse at the infirmary between 1943-1946. Quinn was president of the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) from 1982 to 1986.^[12]

Performance

An inspection by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) published in February 2017 gave the hospital a good overall rating with caring graded as outstanding but with patient safety requiring improvement.^[13]

References

^ "Freedom of Information Publication" (PDF). University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust. p. 4. Retrieved 13 September 2018.^{[permanent dead link]}
^ "Cuts will cripple Royal Lancaster Infirmary warn medics". Lancaster Guardian. 14 June 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
^ "Norovirus outbreak hits Royal Lancaster Infirmary". The Visitor. 24 May 2013. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
^ "Lancaster Royal Infirmary - Our hospitals - University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay". Retrieved 13 September 2018.
^ ^a ^b Farrer, William; Brownbill, J (1914). 'Townships: Lancaster', in A History of the County of Lancaster. Vol. 8. London: British History Online. pp. 33–48. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
^ ^a ^b "Sights of the past at Lancaster hall and park". Lancaster Guardian. 18 July 2019. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
^ ^a ^b ^c "Heritage open day will showcase 125 years of the Royal Lancaster Infirmary". University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust. 6 August 2018. Archived from the original on 13 September 2018. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
^ "Lord Ashton - the Lino King".
^ ^a ^b Historic England. "Royal Lancaster Infirmary (original building) (1194932)". National Heritage List for England.
^ "Spring opening for new £1m stroke unit". The Visitor. 22 February 2017. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
^ "New £1.2m therapy department officially opened". Academy of Fabulous NHS Stuff. 8 August 2018. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
^ Ford, Steve (13 December 2016). "Death announced of former RCN president Dame Sheila Quinn". Nursing Times. Archived from the original on 18 April 2024. Retrieved 18 April 2024.
^ "Royal Lancaster Infirmary". Care Quality Commission. Retrieved 13 September 2018.