The Royal Halifax Infirmary was a hospital in Halifax, West Yorkshire, England, which opened in 1896 and closed in 2001.

History

Earlier hospitals

The predecessors of the Royal Halifax Hospital were the Halifax Dispensary (1807-c.1836) in Hatters Close, and the Halifax Infirmary or Halifax Infirmary and Dispensary in Blackwall, opposite Holy Trinity Church, from 1838.

George Townsend Andrews George Townsend Andrews (19 December 1804 – 29 December 1855) was an English architect born in Exeter. He is noted for his buildings designed for George Hudson's railways, especially the York and North Midland Railway. Andrews' architect's ...

, best known as a railway architect, designed the 1838 premises, which were demolished after 1896. ''Includes photograph of the building'' The West Yorkshire Archive Service holds the records of both of these institutions in addition to those of the infirmary.

From 1896

The infirmary's building in Free School Lane, Halifax, was opened on 28 April 1896 by the Duke and Duchess of York (the future

George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother Qu ...

and Queen Mary), who also opened the town's

Borough Market Borough Market is a wholesale and retail market hall in Southwark, London, England. It is one of the largest and oldest food markets in London, with a market on the site dating back to at least the 12th century. The present buildings were b ...

that day. It is said that Queen Victoria had given permission for it to be named the "Halifax Royal Infirmary" but that the duke announced the wrong name, which was then retained. It became part of 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, and was part of the Calderdale Healthcare NHS Trust, which in 2001 merged into the

Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust runs Huddersfield Royal Infirmary, Huddersfield and Calderdale Royal Hospital, Halifax, both in West Yorkshire, England. It became a Foundation Trust in 2006. The rebuilding of Calderdale Royal ...

. The hospital was closed in 2001 on the opening of the new Calderdale Royal Hospital. After closure some of the buildings were converted to residential use and known as "The Royal". ''Includes list of named wards and dates of build of individual buildings'' Eleven blocks of the buildings, and a lodge and elements of the boundary walls, are Grade II

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

Notable people

* Euphemia Steele Innes, RRC, DN (1874–1055), Scottish nurse. From 1906 to 1907 she was assistant matron at the Royal Halifax Infirmary; from 1912 to 1913 she was matron there.

References

Defunct hospitals in England Hospitals in West Yorkshire Buildings and structures in Halifax, West Yorkshire Hospitals established in 1896 1896 establishments in England Hospitals disestablished in 2001 2001 disestablishments in England Grade II listed hospital buildings Grade II listed buildings in West Yorkshire {{UK-hospital-stub