Leicester Royal Infirmary
| Leicester Royal Infirmary | |
|---|---|
| University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust | |
  Shown in Leicestershire | |
| Geography | |
| Location | Infirmary Square, Leicester, England, United Kingdom |
| Coordinates | 52°37′39″N 1°08′11″W / 52.6274°N 1.1365°WCoordinates: 52°37′39″N 1°08′11″W / 52.6274°N 1.1365°W |
| Organisation | |
| Care system | Public NHS |
| Funding | Government hospital |
| Hospital type | Teaching |
| Affiliated university | Leicester University |
| Services | |
| Emergency department | Accident and Emergency |
| Beds | 890 |
| Links | |
| Website |
www |
| Lists | Hospitals in England |
The Leicester Royal Infirmary (LRI) is a large National Health Service hospital in Leicester, England. It is located to the south-west of the city centre. It has Leicester's accident and emergency department, and is part of the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust.
The hospital was originally founded in 1771 by Reverend William Watts, hosting 40 beds. Patients were forced to pay a deposit when they went in; if they went home, the money was repaid back, if they died their deposit would be spent on burying them. When first opened, there was no running water, but there was the nearby brewery, which was used to treat the patients. By 1808, the hospital had expanded by 20 beds, holding now 60. In 1808, the first matron was employed at £10 a year, this increased over the years, and many matrons and nurses helped patients recover, by looking after them, and making beds. There are many separate sections in the hospital, named after royal residences in Great Britain and Northern Ireland - Windsor, Balmoral, Osborne, Sandringham and Victoria. The Windsor building was opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1993.
The Hospital merged in April 2000 with Leicester General Hospital and Glenfield Hospital to form University Hospitals of Leicester.
The Leicester Royal Infirmary currently holds around 890 beds. Construction is currently ongoing for a £43 Million new Emergency Department dubbed "Emergency Floor". This facility is due to open to patients in Winter 2016 and will subsequently hold an array of assessment rooms and facilities for elderly and frailty patients.