Manchester Royal Infirmary is a major research and teaching hospital working with the University of Manchester’s Medical School. It is a regional and national centre for services as diverse as kidney and pancreas transplants, haematology, vascular, major trauma, liver and pancreas surgery, rheumatology and HIV care.

Our History
Founded in 1752 with just 12 beds, the first hospital was in a converted house in Garden Street, by Withy Grove. New, much larger, premises opened in 1755 in what is now Piccadilly Gardens.
Organised admission of medical pupils began in 1793. Today, it is a major teaching hospital working with the University of Manchester’s Medical School, the UK’s largest medical school.
The hospital eventually moved to its Oxford Road location and was officially opened by King Edward V11 on 6 July 1909, with it adding the title “Royal” in 1933. That building is now called Cobbett House and is the Headquarters for the Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT).
By August 1939 there were 440 beds in the hospital. During World War II the building was bombed and damaged. The bell in the clock tower fell to the ground and has been located in the main foyer ever since.
Cobbett House closed as a hospital in 2009 and was replaced by the current Manchester Royal Infirmary building. Elizabeth II officially opened its new wing during her Platinum Jubilee in 2012. The £40 million Emergency Department and theatres project saw the main entrance changed in May 2012.
Since then, there have been a number of developments, such as a £25 million project to redevelop the Critical Care Facilities, which will provide 52 state-of-the-art Critical Care bed spaces.
- Using 3D technology to perform keyhole urology surgery
- Using handheld robotic device for renal and urology surgery
- Becoming internationally recognised in the development of surgery for Encapsulating Peritoneal Sclerosis
- Reaching 1000 patients to benefit from remote cardiac device monitoring
- Being the first centre in the world to implant a Bonebridge Hearing Device and activating it on the same day
- The first in the UK to perform 1000 cochlear implants procedures.
Our Services
Manchester Royal Infirmary now has 770 beds, treats around 750,000 patients annually and sees approximately 160,000 Emergency Department attendances per year.
In addition to hosting a Major Trauma Centre, it is a regional and national centre for services as diverse as kidney and pancreas transplants, haematology, vascular, major trauma, liver and pancreas surgery, rheumatology and HIV care.
Our many leading roles include running the largest home kidney dialysis programme in the country, being the first to provide closed-loop insulin pumps for patients with diabetes and in the first group of hospitals to provide the revolutionary CAR T cell therapy for blood cancers.
Location
Manchester Royal Infirmary is located on Oxford Road. For more details about how to get here, visit our Getting Here page.
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT)
Manchester Royal Infirmary is part of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT). Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust was formed on 1 October 2017 and is responsible for running a family of ten hospitals across seven separate sites. It provides a wide range of services from comprehensive local general hospital care through to highly specialised regional and national services.
Our Values
Manchester Royal Infirmary is proud to align itself with the shared values of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust.