1700 - 1850s

Looking around the Manchester conurbation and our current Cheadle Royal site, it is hard to imagine the rolling countryside in which the original building was set. Established in 1766 the first hospital was sited near the current Piccadilly Gardens in the centre of Manchester. The founders of this 'state of the art' Manchester mental health hospital were determined to ensure that practices which were rife in other institutions at the time were not repeated at the new facility and established a number of rules including:

• Examination of every patient upon admission, and injuries reported to the Physician or Surgeon
• No beatings or coercion, more than that necessary, to restrain patients from injuring themselves or others
• No forced medication, unless on the written instruction of the Physician
• Male and female patients kept separate
• Commodious apartments for those who were convalescing, so that they were not disturbed by noisy or violent patients
• Separate accommodation for those patients who could afford to pay for their treatment
• No sightseeing
• Patients were to be seen by the physician at least twice per week
• Regular journals (patients records) to be kept.

Royal patronage was granted to the Hospital in 1830. By 1844, although the number of mentally ill patients was declining, the number of other patients was increasing and the site in Piccadilly was becoming very cramped. It was decided to separate the mental health hospital from the general hospital and to relocate to 37 acres, nine miles to the south in Stockport Etchells, better known as Cheadle in Cheshire.

1850 - 1950s

The new hospital opened in 1850 on today's Cheadle Royal site and became known as the Manchester Royal Hospital for those with mental health problems. The new building cost £25,000 and the design was well received internationally and it remains well designed for its purpose to this day.

In 1934 the grounds of the hospital had grown to 280 acres and by this time mental illness was much better understood as an illness and as being curable. The hospital then became known as Cheadle Royal Hospital.

When the national Health Service was formed in 1948 Cheadle Royal Hospital remained independent and continued to be operated by the Cheadle Royal Charitable Trust.

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1950 - 1980s

Cheadle Royal continued its history of leading development in mental health care and over the years continued to change to meet the changing needs of patients and to reflect changes in the National Health Service. For example outpatient therapy services were set up in local GP practices and the hospital developed inpatient services to complement those of the NHS as the large NHS asylums started to close under the 'Care in the Community' initiative.

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1990s

In February 1997 the Hospital was sold to a new company, Cheadle Royal Hospital Ltd, formed by the senior management team, with financial backing from a small Scottish company, Healthcare Scotland. The company later changed its name to Affinity Healthcare upon the acquisition of Middleton St George Hospital near Darlington, County Durham and the rapid growth and expansion of services. Services continued to grow apace.

1998 - Dalton, Open Acute Admissions Ward - Cheadle Royal Hospital

1998 - Willows, Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit - Cheadle Royal Hospital

1998 - Russell House, Eating Disorders Service - Cheadle Royal Hospital

1999 - Maple, Low Secure Rehabilitation Ward - Cheadle Royal Hospital

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2000s

2000 - Hollies, Psychiatric Intensive Care Service - Cheadle Royal Hospital

2001 - Thoburn, Rehabilitation Ward - Middleton St George Hospital

2001 - Rowan, Psychiatric Intensive Care Service Middleton St George Hospital

2002 - Elmswood, Male Rehabilitation Service - Cheadle Royal Hospital

2003 - Pankhurst, Female Psychiatric Intensive Care - Cheadle Royal Hospital

2004 - Orchard, Young People's Service - Cheadle Royal Hospital

2002 - Pine, Low Secure Rehabilitation Unit - Middleton St George Hospital

2006 - Roselea, Women's only rehabilitation - Cheadle Royal Hospital

2006 - Mayfield, Complex low stimulus rehabilitation - Cheadle Royal Hospital

In 2004, the company was sold to Duke Street Capital, a private equity house. This has brought new capital to Affinity Healthcare which has funded continued expansion of new complex mental health services.

In 2006, significant building work has commenced at Middleton St George. Investment in the hospital site will result in a complete transformation of the service. This commenced with the re-provision of the elderly care service into a new purpose built facility and the management of care transferred to Orchard Care, a specialist nursing home company.

Construction of a new 28 bed Women's low secure unit commenced in 2006, with the service opening early in 2007. This will provide gender specific treatment to a vulnerable population within a low secure setting.

Construction also started on a 28 bed offender assessment and support unit. This service will commence operations in mid 2007 and provide specialist mental health care in secure settings for patients with a forensic background.

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