Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital

Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital
Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust
Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, Wonford
Geography
Location	Wonford and Heavitree both in Exeter, Devon, England, United Kingdom
Organisation
Care system	NHS
Hospital type	Teaching
Affiliated university	Peninsula Medical School
Services
Emergency department	Yes, Accident & Emergency
Beds	797 inpatient beds and 80 day case beds
History
Founded	1743
Links
Website	http://www.rdehospital.nhs.uk

The Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital (commonly referred to as RD&E), is a large teaching hospital situated in Exeter, Devon, England. The hospital has two sites, Wonford and Heavitree. and is part of the Royal Devon and Exeter NHS Foundation Trust.

The hospital is used for clinical training of medical students from the Peninsula Medical School which is maintained by the University of Plymouth and the University of Exeter. It will also be one of the main sites for clinical placements for the new University of Exeter medical school, which takes its first students in 2013.

Alured Clarke, the newly appointed Dean of Exeter, had helped with the establishment of a cottage hospital in Winchester (it has since become the Royal Hampshire County Hospital) and proposed the idea to local gentlemen. Through their funding, construction was completed and the hospital opened in 1743. In 1899, George V, then the Duke of York, and his wife visited the hospital and granted it permission to use the "Royal" title. Despite the city being regularly subjected to air raids during World War II, the hospital escaped damage. In 1948 it became part of the newly formed NHS. The original hospital was in the city centre area of Southernhay, the building still exists opposite the South Gate hotel. The hospital moved to a new building on the Wonford site in 1972. In 1985 the building was found to have concrete cancer. The new and current buildings were built over several phases, with the first two phases being completed during the 1990s, Peninsula Medical School opening in 2004 and a new maternity and gynaecology unit opening at Wonford in 2007.