Work set to begin on new £73m North Wing at Altnagelvin Hospital

Altnagelvin Hospital's iconic tower block is to be transformed with a major £73 million redevelopment.

The ageing wards will be replaced by a new North Wing Ward Block.

Northstone (NI) Ltd has been appointed to construct the new building.

The project will include the creation of six inpatient wards, a new main entrance to the hospital and the relocation of the car parking facilities.

The work is scheduled to be completed in December 2019.                  

Meanwhile, a separate contract has been approved for a major refurbishment of the Day Surgery Theatres.

Contractor, TAL Ltd, will take hold of the £3.3 million project.

Work on the theatres is expected to be completed by January 2018.

It includes the refurbishment of the hospital’s existing theatre space and a redesign of services.

Once completed, it will provide additional day case theatre capacity in an effort to tackle immediate theatre pressures at the facility.

Health Minister, Michelle O’Neill said: 

“This significant investment by the Executive will deliver a first class, state of the art facility for patients and families in Derry and the North West and will create a fit for purpose working environment for staff in Altnagelvin.

“These new facilities are important to ensure that patients have access to high quality health care delivered in a modern clinical and therapeutic environment, and to enhance operating theatre infrastructure capacity at Altnagelvin which will help to address the current waiting times for surgery.”

Elaine Way Chief Executive of the Western Health and Social Care Trust said:

“This new building is the first phase of the major development to upgrade accommodation for all inpatient services currently located in the Tower Block of the hospital.

“The site for the North Wing is beside the existing hospital Tower Block and we have already undertaken some enabling works to facilitate the construction. This has included relocating some buildings and the construction of a new multi-storey car park which opened in October 2015.

“These are exciting times for the hospital following the completion of the £66million Radiotherapy Unit and now the North Wing. The Trust is delighted to be able to deliver services from the most modern patient centred facilities.”