Understand
Western Trust invests £2.5m to upgrade Altnagelvin Hospital Emergency Department
Overview
The Western Trust has invested £2.5m over the past year to upgrade the Emergency Department at Altnagelvin Hospital in Londonderry to improve patient flow, facilities, and care conditions while working towards a long-term goal of a new purpose-built facility.
Key points
- The Western Trust invested £2.5m over the past year to upgrade Altnagelvin Hospital's Emergency Department.
- Completed improvements include a new patient kitchen, expanded vending services, and a dedicated treatment space for isolation or infectious disease care.
- Ongoing work features an extension to the assessment and treatment area, upgraded waiting spaces, and enhanced staff rest facilities.
- Planning is underway to further expand the department's resuscitation area.
- Trust officials note that while physical expansion helps, overall patient flow is also affected by rising demand, patient complexity, hospital capacity, timely discharges, and community services.