The Royal London Hospital

The Royal London Hospital stands in Whitechapel, part of the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. Founded in 1740 as the London Infirmary, it moved to its present site on Whitechapel Road in 1757. The hospital began with one surgeon, physician and apothecary, offering free treatment funded by subscriptions. In 1785 it opened London’s first purpose-built medical school, organised with the hospital. The name changed to the Royal London Hospital in 1990 after Queen Elizabeth II visited. The hospital became a centre for medical training and nursing reform. Eva Luckes served as matron for nearly forty years, training over 470 matrons including Edith Cavell. Joseph Merrick, known as the Elephant Man, spent his final years there and his skeleton is kept at the medical school. The roof-top helipad serves as the London Air Ambulance base. In the 20th century the hospital expanded its services and trained nurses for private homes. Visitors find a modern hospital with 1,248 beds across 34 wards. The new trauma and emergency centre opened in 2012, along with renal and paediatric units. Old hospital buildings now house Tower Hamlets Town Hall. The site retains links to its past, including the preserved skeleton and the medical school’s history.