Founded by Charles White in 1752 as part of the voluntary hospital movement of the 18th century, it is now a major regional and national medical centre.

The first premises was a house in Garden Street, off Withy Grove, Manchester, which were opened on Monday 27 July 1752, financed by subscriptions.

White co-founded the Infirmary with local industrialist Joseph Bancroft in 1752, and was an honorary surgeon there until 1790.

The first inpatient was admitted on 3 August, Benjamin Dooley, aged 12, had "sordid ulcers in the leg".

The site had previously been called the Daub Holes: these pits, 615 feet long, had filled with water and they were replaced by a fine ornamental pond.

[7] The building of the Manchester Lunatic Asylum on the same site as the main hospital was completed in 1765.

A steam engine was installed for pumping and heating water for the baths and the hospital.

In 1813 the waterworks company agreed to supply water to the baths and hospital free of charge.

Dr John Ferriar, one of the physicians, helped to set up a Board of Health which rented 4 houses in Portland Street belonging to the Lunatic Asylum for use as a fever hospital.

It was called the House of Recovery and patients from the rest of the infirmary were moved there if they had infectious diseases.

The extension included nurses kitchens, 8 water closets, a wash house and laundry, and an accident room and surgery.

[12] Jenny Lind gave two concerts for the benefit of the funds in December 1848 allowing the construction of new wings to proceed.

They were increased to 260 guineas in 1824[18] Students in the 19th century were awarded external degrees by the University of London.

[20] Discussions about moving the infirmary to its present site in Oxford Road started in 1875, and a plan was finally agreed in 1904.

The Picadilly site was sold to the City Council for £400,000 and plans for new buildings designed by Edwin Hall and John Brooke were accepted after a competition.

Radiotherapy for cancer patients started in 1914 and Manchester and District Radium Institute was established in a building next to the hospital in 1921.

A large emergency blood transfusion centre was established and continued after the war.

A high explosive bomb penetrated the new nurses' home, Sparshott House, on 11 October 1940.

On the second night a time bomb fell on the X-ray and teaching block which exploded on the following day, 24 December, leading to significant disruption.

[21] Throughout the early 1970s the department of radiology was a pioneer of X-ray computed tomography under consultant neuroradiologist Dr Ian Isherwood.

[25][26] The Infirmary itself specialises in cardiology, in renal medicine and surgery and in kidney and pancreas transplants.