| Lancaster Royal Infirmary | |
| Org/Group: | University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust |
| Location: | Lancaster |
| Region: | Lancashire |
| State: | North West England |
| Country: | United Kingdom |
| Healthcare: | NHS |
| Type: | Teaching |
| Emergency: | Yes |
| Beds: | 387[1] |
| Founded: | 1781 |
| Map Type: | Lancashire |
| Coordinates: | 54.0425°N -2.8003°W |
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]
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, was opened by the Duke and Duchess of York in 1896.[7] The original building is now Grade II listed. 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[9] and a new therapies outpatient department, built at a cost of £1.2 million, opened in 2018.[10]
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.[12]