Lancaster Royal Infirmary
History
The infirmary has its origins in a dispensary which opened on Castle Hill in 1781 and a fever hospital established in 1815. These two institutions combined in premises in Thurnham Street in 1833.
A larger site on Ashton Road, which had previously been known as the Springfield Estate, was bought for £2,471 in 1888 and, following a donation of nearly £10,000 by James Williamson, a local businessman, the first building of the new hospital, designed by architects Paley and Austin, was opened by the Duke and Duchess of York in 1896. The original building is now Grade II listed. Springfield Hall was retained and used as an overnight nurses' home for the hospital.
A new maternity unit opened in 1979, the pathology building was added in 1994 and the new centenary building opened in 1996.
The Huggett Suite, a unit for treating stroke patients built at a cost of £1 million, opened in spring 2017 and a new therapies outpatient department, built at a cost of £1.2 million, opened in 2018.
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.
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.
See also
References
- ^ "Freedom of Information Publication" (PDF). University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust. p. 4. Retrieved 13 September 2018.
- ^ "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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ "Sights of the past at Lancaster hall and park". Lancaster Guardian. 18 July 2019. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
- ^ "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".
- ^ 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.