The Royal Marsden Hospital

The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust
Royal Marsden and Brompton Chest Hospital
Geography
Location	Brompton and Belmont, London, England, United Kingdom
Organisation
Care system	Public NHS
Hospital type	Specialist
Affiliated university	Institute of Cancer Research Imperial College London
Services
Emergency department	None
Beds	269
Speciality	Oncology
History
Founded	1851
Links
Website	http://www.royalmarsden.nhs.uk
Lists	Hospitals in England

The Royal Marsden Hospital (RM) is a specialist cancer treatment hospital in London. It is an NHS Foundation Trust, and operates facilities on two sites:

The Royal Marsden was the first hospital in the world dedicated to the study and treatment of cancer. It was founded as the Free Cancer Hospital in 1851 by William Marsden at 1, Cannon Row, Westminster. Marsden, deeply affected by the death of his wife Elizabeth Ann from cancer, resolved to classify tumours, research the causes and find new treatments. The hospital at first consisted solely of a dispensary and the drugs prescribed were palliative and aimed at treating symptoms, but it allowed William Marsden the opportunity to study and research the disease.

The hospital quickly outgrew its original premises as it became apparent that some patients required inpatient care. It moved locations several times during the 1850s until its benefactors decided to find a permanent solution. Funds were raised to build a dedicated new building on a tract of land in Brompton along the Fulham Road. The design was by Messrs John Young & Son. The hospital was granted its Royal Charter of Incorporation by King George V in 1910 and became known as The Cancer Hospital (Free). This was subsequently changed by King Edward VIII to include the word ‘Royal’ and in 1954 the hospital was renamed The Royal Marsden Hospital in recognition of the vision and commitment of its founder.

When the National Health Service was formed, in 1948, the Royal Marsden became a post-graduate teaching hospital. In response to the need to expand to treat more patients and train more doctors, a second hospital in Sutton, London was opened in 1962.