Leicester Royal Infirmary

Name :

Leicester Royal Infirmary

Address  :

Infirmary Square

Town  :

Leicester

State  :

Leicestershire

Country  :

UK

Post Code:

LE1 5WW

Phone  :

0300 303 1573

Fax  :

Web URL  :

Available

Email  :

webmaster@uhl-tr.nhs.uk

History

History of Leicester Royal Infirmary
Leicester Royal Infirmary LRI opened in September 1771 Its founder the Rev William Watts held fundraisers and appeals to raise pound2200 to build the then 40bed hospital that later became known as Leicester Royal Infirmary

Voluntary hospitals were being built all across England at this time As a voluntary hospital the LRI relied on subscriptions from the citys rich and good to keep it going

Burying patients was an expensive business at the time and patients admitted to hospital had to give a deposit which was returned when the patient went home If they didnt go home the money was used to bury them

The new Infirmary like the rest of Leicester had no running water but did boast its own brewery Alcohol was used as treatments for a whole range of conditions In 1808 the then 60bedded hospital recorded that patients consumed 946 pints of wine 987 gallons of ale 38 pints of brandy and 14 pints of gin

Leicester Royal Infirmary employed its first matron at pound10 a year before Florence Nightingale came back from the Crimean War and the training of nurses really began In the 18th century nurses and matrons were generally kindly women who made beds and looked after patients