This is an artist’s impression of what Letterkenny’s new community hospital will look like when it is opened in 2024.
A planning application for the development has been granted and the pre-qualification process for main contractors is currently underway, according to the HSE.
The proposed development will comprise of a community hospital totalling 9,400sqm in gross floor area.
The building comprises of 110 beds including a mix of long/short-stay rehabilitation and dementia care with associated resident accommodation.
The first floor of the new Letterkenny Community Hospital will provide 25 intermediate care beds and 25 medical rehab beds alongside a Rehabilitation Unit.
The Rehabilitation Unit will comprise of Physio treatment rooms, Occupational Therapy rooms, Speech & Language Therapy room, Consultation Room, and outdoor therapy space.
The ground floor of the development will provide two 25 bed household units that will accommodate 50 long stay residential beds with outdoor space. Each household will comprise of single bedrooms with en-suite.
There is also one twin room with en-suite, a Day Room, Activity Room, Dining Room with a dedicated kitchenette, an assisted bathroom and its own services rooms. Separate to the household this floor will provide for the main hospital catering department, staff changing/ dining facilities and other service delivery areas.
The lower ground floor will provide a 10 bed Dementia Specific Unit which has been designed as a household model with an additional Multi-Sensory Room, Quite Room and Courtyard spaces/garden.
The design of the Dementia Unit will support the continued engagement of the residents living with dementia in meaningful person centered activities.
Separate from the Dementia Unit the lower ground floor will also provide for the main entrance, reception area, office space and communal facilities for the hospital such as Hairdressers Room, Reflective Room, Visitor Room and Meeting Rooms.
John Hayes, Chief Officer for Community Healthcare Organisation Area 1 (Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan and Sligo) welcomed this next phase in the development: “This is a major development for the provision of healthcare for the people of Letterkenny and surrounding areas. The new Community Hospital will be integrated with acute and community teams to deliver a model of care including rehabilitation for the population living in Donegal”.
This project was designed by MCA Architects (Dublin) and the development at Letterkenny is part of an overall programme for the development of healthcare infrastructure in Donegal.
The estimated net construction cost of the facility is currently €38.3 million, and a pre-qualification process for main contactors is currently underway. It is intended to proceed to tender and appointment of a contractor for the construction of the building in summer 2022.
It is anticipated that the new Community Hospital will be operational in 2024.
