McGimpsey welcomes the Queen to Altnagelvin Hospital

Health Minister, Michael McGimpsey today welcomed Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh to the official opening of Altnagelvin Hospital’s new £33million South Wing Development.

Speaking at the event the Minister said: “I am delighted to welcome Her Majesty the Queen to Altnagelvin Hospital today to officially open the new South Wing Development.

“This £33million redevelopment is part of a programme of work that will ensure that the hospital can continue to serve the west of the province for years to come.

“The new wing, which I had the opportunity to see during a recent visit to the hospital, is one of the most modern healthcare facilities in Western Europe. It will provide enhanced replacement facilities for a range of existing services, including: haematology/oncology, chemotherapy, maternity, neonatal intensive care, acute care of older people, and rehabilitation facilities comprising a hydrotherapy pool, physiotherapy, occupational and speech and language therapies and Social Services.

“This new development will bring significant benefits to patients and staff and is a great example of the continued investment in health service modernisation in Northern Ireland.”

Chairman of the Western Health and Social Care Trust, Gerard Guckian also welcomed the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh to the hospital. He said: “This opening marks the beginning of a new chapter for the hospital and signals the Western Trust’s ongoing commitment to providing high quality care to the 290,000 people living in the Western area.”

He concluded: “This is a very exciting time for the Western Trust as it moves forward with a number of other major projects including the new hospitals in Omagh and Enniskillen and the Radiotherapy Therapy Centre in Altnagelvin. I would like to thank the Health Minster, Michael McGimpsey, the DHSSPS and Health Estates for their continued investment in, and commitment to, our capital development programme. Their investment, belief in us and expert advice and guidance along the way has enabled us to deliver a first class, state-of-the-art healthcare facility which will serve patients well.”

Notes to Editors:

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