Altnagelvin Area Hospital is the main
hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment with specialized health science and auxiliary healthcare staff and medical equipment. The best-known type of hospital is the general hospital, which typically has an emerge ...
for the North West of
Northern Ireland. It is located in
Waterside, Derry. It provides services to the city of
Derry
Derry, officially Londonderry (), is the second-largest city in Northern Ireland and the fifth-largest city on the island of Ireland. The name ''Derry'' is an anglicisation of the Old Irish name (modern Irish: ) meaning 'oak grove'. The ...
and
County Londonderry
County Londonderry ( Ulster-Scots: ''Coontie Lunnonderrie''), also known as County Derry ( ga, Contae Dhoire), is one of the six counties of Northern Ireland, one of the thirty two counties of Ireland and one of the nine counties of Ulster. B ...
, but also some specialist and acute services for parts of neighbouring
County Donegal,
County Tyrone,
County Antrim and
County Fermanagh. It is managed by the
Western Health and Social Care Trust.
History
Altnagelvin Area Hospital was the first major hospital built in the United Kingdom after the
Second World War and opened in 1960.
In February 2003 the hospital was designated as one of the nine acute hospitals in the acute hospital network of Northern Ireland on which healthcare would be focused under the government health policy 'Developing Better Services'.
A new renal
hemodialysis unit was completed in 2005 and a new laboratory and pharmacy centre, procured under a
private finance initiative
The private finance initiative (PFI) was a United Kingdom government procurement policy aimed at creating "public–private partnerships" (PPPs) where private firms are contracted to complete and manage public projects. Initially launched in 199 ...
contract, opened in 2007. A new south wing, designed by HLM Architects and built at a cost of £45 million, was completed in 2010.
In January 2011, it was revealed that 18,500
xray
X-rays (or rarely, ''X-radiation'') are a form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation. In many languages, it is referred to as Röntgen radiation, after the German scientist Wilhelm Conrad Röntgen, who discovered it in 1895 and named it ' ...
s taken in 2009 and 2010 in Altnagelvin's Medical Imaging Department had not been examined by a
radiologist. As a result, four patients with
cancer had their diagnosis delayed by several months.
In March 2011 a political row developed when Health Minister
Michael McGimpsey announced the postponement of plans to develop a regional radiotherapy unit at the hospital.
University affiliations
The hospital is a teaching hospital, and has research and teaching links with
Queen's University Belfast
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, the
National University of Ireland, Galway
The University of Galway ( ga, Ollscoil na Gaillimhe) is a public research university located in the city of Galway, Ireland. A tertiary education and research institution, the university was awarded the full five QS stars for excellence in 201 ...
and
Ulster University.
References
External links
*
Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority inspection reports
{{authority control
Western Health and Social Care Trust
Hospital buildings completed in 1960
Teaching hospitals in Northern Ireland
Health and Social Care (Northern Ireland) hospitals
Buildings and structures in Derry (city)
Hospitals established in 1960
1960 establishments in Northern Ireland
Hospitals in County Londonderry