Altnagelvin Hospital Faces Funding Shortfall for New Emergency Department

A new emergency department at Altnagelvin hospital is considered a high priority, but funding for the project is currently lacking, according to Northern Ireland's health minister. Robbie Butler visited the Londonderry hospital on Wednesday and indicated that the project would be "incredibly high on the project list if the money becomes available."

The proposed new emergency department is one of two priority capital projects for the Western Health and Social Care Trust, with an estimated cost of approximately £73 million. The current emergency department at Altnagelvin is the oldest facility operating around-the-clock in Northern Ireland. It was originally designed to accommodate about 40,000 patients annually but is now handling double that volume.

Butler acknowledged that while ongoing efforts by the trust have helped to mitigate waiting times, they remain "much too long." He stated that he hears the concerns of local residents regarding the extended waits and expressed an ambition, shared by the trust's senior leadership, to improve the situation. "If the money became available, I would say the case has been well made," the minister added.