Monsall Hospital was established in North Manchester in 1871 as a fever hospital by the trustees of Manchester Royal Infirmary. Robert Barnes donated £9,000 and the hospital was named the Barnes House of Recovery. Manchester City Council contributed £500. The total cost was £13,000. There was accommodation for 128 fever patients and room to separate patients suffering from different infections. In 1875 there were 843 admissions, mostly with smallpox. By 1895 more buildings had been erected and there were 350 beds.
The hospital was sold to Manchester City Council in 1895 for £4,900. The council agreed to receive and treat any patients with infectious diseases, including Erysipelas, and for the first four years it was agreed that the medical staff of the infirmary could instruct students in the fever wards.
The City of Manchester Pathology Service was established on the site in the 1930s, serving Withington Hospital, Booth Hall Children's Hospital, Prestwich Hospital and Baguley Hospital.