Theme Hospital has 33 diseases, and every one is cured in one of four places: the Pharmacy (12), the Psychiatric room (6), a one-disease clinic (8) or the Operating Theatre after a Ward stay (7). The Theme Hospital tips that matter most: put your best doctor in the GP’s Office, build a Staff Room early, hire enough Handymen to keep machines repaired, and never let an epidemic patient walk outside. Below is the full diseases list with cure rooms and default charges, the 12 level targets, staff wages and the built-in PC cheat.
Bullfrog’s 1997 hospital sim is still sold on GOG (Windows and Mac, runs through DOSBox) and on EA’s site. On GOG’s US store it was $0.99, down 83% from $5.99 when we checked on November 2, 2026 at 01:15 UTC; GOG didn’t show an end date for the sale.
Table of Contents
Theme Hospital tips: quick answer
- The GP’s Office is the bottleneck. Every new patient starts there, and failed diagnoses come back to it. A Consultant there gets most diagnoses right on the first visit (StrategyWiki).
- The Pharmacy cures the most diseases (12) and only needs a Nurse, so build it early and add a second one when the queue grows.
- Surgery needs two surgeons plus a Ward. The seven surgical diseases also include the most expensive cure, Broken Heart ($1,900 default charge).
- Keep staff happy: a Staff Room with one sofa, video game or pool table per person, heaters, and a one-off 10% bonus instead of a permanent pay rise.
- Machines explode if they’re not repaired. Give each Handyman one job (repairs, cleaning or plants) and replace worn machines before earthquakes and VIP visits.
- Epidemics: 22 of the 33 diseases can spread. Treat infected patients first, and never let them walk outdoors between buildings.
GP's Offices are where every patient starts: give them your best doctors. Image: Electronic Arts / Bullfrog (GOG)
Theme Hospital diseases list: all 33 and their cures
The disease names and cure rooms come from StrategyWiki’s Theme Hospital diseases page. The default charges come from the disease files of CorsixTH, the open-source re-creation of the game. Diseases marked * are flagged as contagious there, so they can start an epidemic. In the game, the advisor warns you when a charge is too high or too low.
| Disease | Cure room | Staff needed | Default charge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Broken Wind* | Pharmacy | Nurse | $1,300 |
| Chronic Nosehair* | Pharmacy | Nurse | $800 |
| Corrugated Ankles* | Pharmacy | Nurse | $800 |
| Discrete Itching* | Pharmacy | Nurse | $700 |
| Gastric Ejections* | Pharmacy | Nurse | $650 |
| Gut Rot* | Pharmacy | Nurse | $350 |
| Heaped Piles* | Pharmacy | Nurse | $400 |
| Invisibility | Pharmacy | Nurse | $1,400 |
| Sleeping Illness* | Pharmacy | Nurse | $750 |
| The Squits* | Pharmacy | Nurse | $400 |
| Transparency | Pharmacy | Nurse | $800 |
| Uncommon Cold* | Pharmacy | Nurse | $300 |
| 3rd Degree Sideburns* | Psychiatric | Psychiatrist | $550 |
| Fake Blood* | Psychiatric | Psychiatrist | $800 |
| Infectious Laughter* | Psychiatric | Psychiatrist | $1,500 |
| King Complex | Psychiatric | Psychiatrist | $1,600 |
| Sweaty Palms* | Psychiatric | Psychiatrist | $600 |
| TV Personalities* | Psychiatric | Psychiatrist | $800 |
| Alien DNA | DNA Fixer | Researcher | $2,000 |
| Baldness | Hair Restoration | Doctor | $950 |
| Bloaty Head | Inflation | Doctor | $850 |
| Fractured Bones | Fracture Clinic | Nurse | $450 |
| Hairyitis | Electrolysis | Doctor | $1,150 |
| Jellyitis | Jelly Vat | Doctor | $1,000 |
| Serious Radiation | Decontamination | Doctor | $1,800 |
| Slack Tongue | Slack Tongue Clinic | Doctor | $900 |
| Broken Heart* | Ward + Operating Theatre | Nurse + 2 Surgeons | $1,900 |
| Golf Stones* | Ward + Operating Theatre | Nurse + 2 Surgeons | $1,600 |
| Iron Lungs* | Ward + Operating Theatre | Nurse + 2 Surgeons | $1,700 |
| Kidney Beans* | Ward + Operating Theatre | Nurse + 2 Surgeons | $1,050 |
| Ruptured Nodules* | Ward + Operating Theatre | Nurse + 2 Surgeons | $1,600 |
| Spare Ribs* | Ward + Operating Theatre | Nurse + 2 Surgeons | $1,100 |
| Unexpected Swelling* | Ward + Operating Theatre | Nurse + 2 Surgeons | $500 |
Some diagnoses are narrow. In CorsixTH’s files, Transparency and Fractured Bones can only be diagnosed by the Scanner. Invisibility, King Complex, Hairyitis and Slack Tongue need the X-Ray or the Scanner. Iron Lungs needs the X-Ray, Cardiogram or Blood Machine. Most other diseases show up in almost any diagnosis room. Alien DNA patients only arrive through emergencies (CorsixTH’s default setting; StrategyWiki also lists the DNA Fixer as “emergency only”).
Which cure rooms to build first
Our take, based on the table above: build the Pharmacy and Psychiatric room first, because between them they cure 18 diseases. Then add the Ward and Operating Theatre once you have two surgeons, because seven high-value diseases depend on them. The single-disease clinics are worth building as soon as research unlocks them, but each one only ever sees one kind of patient. The Slack Tongue Clinic is the fastest treatment room in the game, but StrategyWiki notes that its patients are rare.
Diagnosis tips: keep patients moving
Room facts here are from StrategyWiki’s rooms page and the room files in CorsixTH.
- GP’s Office (4×4 minimum, any doctor): diagnosing a patient here is also the only way a Consultant raises their own skill. On big maps, StrategyWiki suggests extra GP’s Offices next to your diagnosis rooms, so half-diagnosed patients don’t walk back to a crowded reception.
- Seat placement: put the patient’s chair facing the door, so patients sit down as soon as they come in.
- Scanner (5×5): it can diagnose almost every disease and patients like it, so it usually has the longest queue. StrategyWiki suggests a second Scanner once the queue reaches about seven.
- Cardiogram (4×4) and General Diagnosis (5×5) are slow because patients change behind a screen. The X-Ray (6×6) is fast, but it takes a lot of space.
- Queue controls: click a room’s door to reorder its queue, drag patients to a twin room, or set the maximum queue to zero to switch a room off.
Litter, long queues and tired staff drag everyone's mood down; the advisor's fix is a Staff Room. Image: Electronic Arts / Bullfrog (GOG)
Staff tips: wages, happiness and training
StrategyWiki gives the fair monthly wage as base pay + qualification bonuses + skill / 10. If you pay less than that, staff lose happiness on the first of every month.
| Staff | Base wage | Works in |
|---|---|---|
| Receptionist | $20 | Reception desk (never tires) |
| Handyman | $25 | Repairs, litter, plants |
| Nurse | $60 | Pharmacy, Ward, Fracture Clinic |
| Junior (skill 1-249) | $75 | Any doctor room |
| Doctor (250-799) | $105 | Any doctor room |
| Consultant (800-1,000) | $205 | Any doctor room; teaches in the Training room |
| + Researcher / Psychiatrist / Surgeon | +$20 / +$30 / +$40 | Research, Psychiatric, Operating Theatre |
- Staff Room: provide one sofa, video game or pool table per person resting. When space is tight, StrategyWiki suggests skipping the pool table, because its space fits three video game machines.
- Heat: staff are comfortable between 20% and 80% warmth. One heater in a 4×4 room gives about 76%, according to the wiki.
- Tiredness starts hurting happiness at 30%. If staff fall below 50% happiness they get angry and ask for a raise. Getting them back above 75% calms them down.
- Training: students can’t go beyond the teacher’s general skill, so max out a Consultant before making them teach. StrategyWiki lists the qualification thresholds as 50 specialty points for Research, 65 for Psychiatry and 80 for Surgery.
- Handymen: give each one priority on a single task, so there’s always a dedicated repair, cleaning and plant Handyman. Their wages are low, so a big hospital can afford plenty.
Money tips: charges, loans and events
- Watch the advisor on prices. High charges mean “big profits in the short-term” but drive people away, and a patient may leave without paying if a treatment is too expensive. Those are the game’s own advisor lines, as reproduced in CorsixTH’s English text file.
- Emergencies pay a big cash bonus if you cure them in time. Turn them down if you lack the cure room, because untreated emergency patients count as deaths.
- VIP visits: StrategyWiki lists $800-$1,500 for a mediocre visit, $1,200-$2,000 for a good one and $2,000-$4,000 for an awesome one. Before the VIP arrives, clean up, repair machines, rest tired staff and keep the hospital warm. Make sure no machine explodes during the visit.
- Earthquakes add wear to every machine. If a machine’s remaining strength is low, use “Replace hardware” before the quake.
- Moving a room is free; deleting one only refunds part of its cost.
The staff screen shows each doctor's wage, morale, tiredness and skill, plus the bonus and raise buttons. Image: Electronic Arts / Bullfrog (GOG)
Theme Hospital level targets (all 12 hospitals)
Win targets as listed on StrategyWiki’s per-level pages. A dash means that page doesn’t list the target. “Cures” is the cures target from the same pages.
| # | Hospital | Bank balance | Hospital value | Reputation | Cures |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Toxicity | $1,000 | $55,000 | 300 | 10 |
| 2 | Sleepy Hollow | $10,000 | $60,000 | 300 | 40 |
| 3 | Largechester | $20,000 | $80,000 | – | 60 |
| 4 | Frimpton-on-Sea | $50,000 | $100,000 | 500 | – |
| 5 | Simpleton | $50,000 | $120,000 | 400 | 200 |
| 6 | Festering-on-the-Wold | $150,000 | $140,000 | 200 | 300 |
| 7 | Greenpool | $200,000 | $160,000 | 600 | 350 |
| 8 | Manquay | $300,000 | $180,000 | – | 400 |
| 9 | Eastville | $400,000 | $200,000 | – | 500 |
| 10 | Eggsenham | $500,000 | $220,000 | 600 | 500 |
| 11 | Croaking | $500,000 | $240,000 | 700 | 600 |
| 12 | Battenberg | $750,000 | $250,000 | 800 | 750 |
StrategyWiki’s notes on the late levels: Croaking demands far more skilled GPs, so plan on a Consultant in every GP’s Office. Eggsenham’s tiny plots make it the most frustrating map. Battenberg can be won without buying the nine outer buildings.
Theme Hospital cheats (PC)
The PC version has a built-in cheat mode for single-player. According to StrategyWiki’s cheats page, you enter 24328 on the fax machine keypad when a fax arrives, then press the large green button. After that:
| Keys | Effect |
|---|---|
| Shift + C | Increase bank balance |
| Ctrl + Shift + C | Unlock all rooms and equipment |
| Ctrl + M | Skip to the end of the month |
| Ctrl + Y | Skip to the end of the year |
CorsixTH also lists cheats among the original features it supports. Skip any “free download” or trainer sites: the game costs a few dollars on GOG.
Playing Theme Hospital on Windows 11 and Mac
The GOG version comes with DOSBox and installers for Windows and Mac. CorsixTH (latest release v0.70.1, August 28, 2026) is a free re-creation that adds high resolutions, zoom and building while paused. It runs on Windows, macOS, Linux and BSD, but it needs the original game’s data files from a CD, GOG or EA.
For modern hospital sims built on the same ideas, see our Two Point Hospital tips and tricks and the guide to training staff in Two Point Hospital. For other management sims, try our Two Point Museum tips, Two Point Campus tips or the Prison Architect guide.
FAQ
How many diseases are in Theme Hospital?
There are 33: 12 cured in the Pharmacy, 6 in the Psychiatric room, 8 in single-disease clinics and 7 in the Operating Theatre.
What is the most expensive disease to cure in Theme Hospital?
By CorsixTH’s default charges, Alien DNA ($2,000) is the most expensive, followed by Broken Heart ($1,900) and Serious Radiation ($1,800). Alien DNA only comes through emergencies.
What is the Theme Hospital money cheat?
On PC, type 24328 on the fax keypad when a fax arrives and press the green button, then press Shift + C to add money. It only works in single-player.
Is there a Theme Hospital 2?
No official sequel was ever released. The closest thing is Two Point Hospital (2018), a spiritual successor made by some of Theme Hospital’s creators, including Mark Webley and Gary Carr.
Sources: GOG store page and price (checked November 2, 2026 01:15 UTC), EA, CorsixTH disease, room and language files, and StrategyWiki’s Theme Hospital pages (Diseases, Rooms, Staff, Events, Cheats and the 12 level pages), and Wikipedia.
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