Doncaster Royal Infirmary is a district general hospital of 800 beds, located in

Doncaster Doncaster (, ) is a city in South Yorkshire, England. Named after the River Don, it is the administrative centre of the larger City of Doncaster. It is the second largest settlement in South Yorkshire after Sheffield. Doncaster is situated in ...

South Yorkshire South Yorkshire is a ceremonial and metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and Humber Region of England. The county has four council areas which are the cities of Doncaster and Sheffield as well as the boroughs of Barnsley and Rotherham. In N ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

. It is managed by

Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust Doncaster and Bassetlaw Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust was established in 2004. It runs services at Bassetlaw District General Hospital, Doncaster Royal Infirmary, Montagu Hospital and Retford Hospital, in Nottinghamshire and South Yorks ...

History

Early history

Doncaster Royal Infirmary started life as the Doncaster Dispensary on French Gate (now Greyfriars Road) in 1792: the original two-storey building was erected at the cost of £665. This became the Doncaster General Infirmary and Dispensary in 1868 with 23 beds and the Doncaster Royal Infirmary and Dispensary in 1906. Plans for a new hospital were developed after the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

and a three-day fund-raising bazaar was opened by

Princess Christian Princess Helena (Helena Augusta Victoria; 25 May 1846 – 9 June 1923), later Princess Christian of Schleswig-Holstein, was the third daughter and fifth child of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Helena was educated by private tutors chosen ...

in March 1922. However a long debate over the site of the new hospital ensued and, after pressure from colliery and railway companies, a site on Thorne Road was decided upon. The foundation stone was laid by the

Prince of Wales Prince of Wales ( cy, Tywysog Cymru, ; la, Princeps Cambriae/Walliae) is a title traditionally given to the heir apparent to the English and later British throne. Prior to the conquest by Edward I in the 13th century, it was used by the rulers ...

in 1926, and construction began in 1928, but funding fell short, as it relied wholly on local efforts. The lack of finances led to a smaller building than originally envisaged opening in 1930. This was the first part of the hospital, on Thorne Road (now the West Ward Block). The hospital was officially opened by the

Earl of Lonsdale Earl of Lonsdale is a title that has been created twice in British history, firstly in the Peerage of Great Britain in 1784 (becoming extinct in 1802), and then in the Peerage of the United Kingdom in 1807, both times for members of the Lowth ...

in 1935.

Second World War

At the outbreak of

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

hutted wards of 200 beds were built in order to receive war wounded, as well as extra nursing accommodation required to staff the five huts.

Post war

The hospital joined the

National Health Service The National Health Service (NHS) is the umbrella term for the publicly funded healthcare systems of the United Kingdom (UK). Since 1948, they have been funded out of general taxation. There are three systems which are referred to using the " ...

in 1948. With the formation of the Doncaster Area Health Authority in 1974, Doncaster Royal Infirmary acted as a hub for a series of facilities encompassing Loversall Hospital, Tickhill Road Hospital, St Catherine's Hospital and Western Hospital. The East Ward Block of 390 beds was added in 1968, all but one of the hutted wards were demolished in 1969 (Hut 5 becoming the

biochemistry Biochemistry or biological chemistry is the study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms. A sub-discipline of both chemistry and biology, biochemistry may be divided into three fields: structural biology, enzymology and ...

department), the Women's Hospital was added in 1969, and the Children's Hospital in 1989.

References

{{authority control 1792 establishments in England Hospitals established in 1930 Hospitals in South Yorkshire Hospital buildings completed in 1852 NHS hospitals in England Buildings and structures in Doncaster Hospitals established in 1792

History

Early history

Second World War

Post war

See also

References