The York District Hospital opened in stages in 1976-7.  In July 1976 the nurse education centre was the first stage to open, in the main administrative block; the out-patients department opened in September; and in-patients were transferred to the new wards in four major moves between November 1976 and January 1977, each move involving the closure of other hospitals.  Some other facilities followed later: for example, the ante-natal clinic at County Hospital was not transferred until December 1980.  The hospital was officially opened by Princess Alexandra on 28 July 1977.

The new hospital cost £10,500,000 to build and a further £2,000,000 to equip.  It occupied 20 out of the 22 acres on the site and it accommodated over 1,600 staff.  The scale of the hospital, with 812 beds in thirty wards, was larger than anything ever seen in York - the two largest hospitals it replaced only had 200 beds each.  The new hospital had ten operating theatres in the main theatre block, compared to no more than two on any one site previously.

The hospital brought a far greater centralisation of staff and services to York's health service, and represented a dramatic change for both staff and patients. It also introduced new and modern equipment, and increased space, expanding the diagnostic and therapeutic facilities for all departments.

It replaced a total of nine hospitals: York County Hospital, York City Hospital, Military Hospital, Fulford Hospital, Acomb Hospital, Poppleton Gate, Deighton Grove, Fairfield Hospital and Yearsley Bridge Hospital.

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