The Ulster Hospital, commonly known as the Ulster, is a teaching hospital in Dundonald (at the eastern edge of

Belfast Belfast ( , ; from ga, Béal Feirste , meaning 'mouth of the sand-bank ford') is the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland, standing on the banks of the River Lagan on the east coast. It is the 12th-largest city in the United Kingdo ...

) in County Down,

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

. It is within the

townland A townland ( ga, baile fearainn; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a small geographical division of land, historically and currently used in Ireland and in the Western Isles in Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of Gaelic orig ...

of Ballyregan, beside the A20 road. It provides acute services in the North Down,

Ards Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is a type of respiratory failure characterized by rapid onset of widespread inflammation in the lungs. Symptoms include shortness of breath (dyspnea), rapid breathing (tachypnea), and bluish skin color ...

and Castlereagh council areas, as well as east

. It is managed by the

South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust The South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust (SEHSCT) is a health organisation in Northern Ireland. Hospitals served by the Trust include Downe Hospital, Lagan Valley Hospital and Ulster Hospital The Ulster Hospital, commonly known as the ...

History

The hospital was first founded as the Ulster Hospital for Women and Sick Children in 1872. It was initially located on Chichester Street in Belfast City Centre but moved to Templemore Avenue in Mountpottinger in 1892. The first X-ray machine at the hospital was installed in 1920 and Dr Beath was employed to operate it. While located in Mountpottinger the hospital was severely damaged in the

Belfast Blitz The Belfast Blitz consisted of four German air raids on strategic targets in the city of Belfast in Northern Ireland, in April and May 1941 during World War II, causing high casualties. The first was on the night of 78 April 1941, a small attack ...

in 1941. In 1962 it was relocated to Dundonald and renamed the Ulster Hospital. A refurbishment programme, announced in 2001, included a renal unit (completed in 2006), a maternity unit (completed in 2007), a

multistorey car park A multistorey car park (British and Singapore English) or parking garage (American English), also called a multistory, parking building, parking structure, parkade (mainly Canadian), parking ramp, parking deck or indoor parking, is a build ...

(completed in 2007) and a critical care complex accommodating theatres, laboratories and a sterile services department (completed in 2010). 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'. In June 2011, the Ulster Hospital was granted University Teaching Hospital status by Queen's University Belfast, and an undergraduate sub-deanery was created within the Trust. A new inpatient ward block was completed in April 2017.

References

External links

* {{authority control South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust 1872 establishments in Ireland Hospitals in Belfast Health and Social Care (Northern Ireland) hospitals Hospital buildings completed in 1962 Hospitals established in 1872 Teaching hospitals in Northern Ireland Hospitals in County Down