Our history

In 1828, a young surgeon, William Marsden, shocked that he couldn’t get hospital care for a young woman he found dying in the street, gathered a group of philanthropists and founded what became the Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust (RFL).

Nearly 200 years later, the generous support of our donors and volunteers remains vital.

The charity is still the linchpin of support for the RFL’s three hospitals: Barnet, Chase Farm and the Royal Free, supporting patients, staff and researchers.