Ulster Hospital
Encyclopedia
The Ulster Hospital is a hospital in Dundonald
(at the eastern edge of Belfast
) in County Down
, Northern Ireland
. It is within the townland
of Ballyregan, beside the A20 road
.
The hospital provides acute services to 250,000 people in the North Down
, Ards and Castlereagh council areas, as well as east Belfast
. It is also one of four regional cancer units in Northern Ireland.
. It subsequently moved to Mountpottinger Road and then Templemore Avenue. While located in Mountpottinger the hospital was severely damaged in the 1941 Belfast Blitz
. In 1962 it was relocated to Dundonald
and renamed as the Ulster Hospital.
A seven-year £98m refurbishment programme was announced in 2001. Initially, there were plans to build an entirely new hospital, but these were scrapped. The redevelopment has included an ungraded A&E department, a new maternity block, a critical care unit and a renal unit. In the redevelopment plans were revised in 2006, with the work being split into two phases with total investment increasing to over £340m by 2016. The new plans also include seven new operating theatres and a multi-storey car park. The car park was opened in 2007, helping to solve significant shortages in the past.
Dundonald
Dundonald is a large settlement in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies east of Belfast and is often deemed to be a suburb of the city. It includes the large housing estate of Ballybeen, and many new housing estates have emerged in the past ten years....
(at the eastern edge of Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
) in County Down
County Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. It is within the townland
Townland
A townland or bally is a small geographical division of land used in Ireland. The townland system is of Gaelic origin—most townlands are believed to pre-date the Norman invasion and most have names derived from the Irish language...
of Ballyregan, beside the A20 road
A20 road (Northern Ireland)
The A20 is a road in Northern Ireland. It runs from Belfast to Newtownards and on to Portaferry in County Down.Beginning as the Newtownards Road at the junction of Bridge End close to Belfast city centre, the road runs in an easterly direction through east Belfast...
.
The hospital provides acute services to 250,000 people in the North Down
North Down Borough Council
North Down Borough Council is a Local Council in County Down in Northern Ireland with an overall population of around 80,000. Its main town is Bangor, 20 km east of Belfast with a population of approximately 55,000. The Council is headquartered in Bangor. Its secondary centre is the former Urban...
, Ards and Castlereagh council areas, as well as east Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
. It is also one of four regional cancer units in Northern Ireland.
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 centreBelfast City Centre
Belfast city centre is the central business district of Belfast, Northern Ireland.The city centre was originally centred around the Donegall Street area. Donegall Street is now mainly a business area, but with expanding residential and entertainment development as part of the Cathedral Quarter...
. It subsequently moved to Mountpottinger Road and then Templemore Avenue. While located in Mountpottinger the hospital was severely damaged in the 1941 Belfast Blitz
Belfast Blitz
The Belfast Blitz was an event that occurred on the night of Easter Tuesday, 15 April 1941 during World War II. Two hundred bombers of the German Air Force attacked the city of Belfast in Northern Ireland. Nearly one thousand people died as a result of the bombing and 1,500 were injured. In terms...
. In 1962 it was relocated to Dundonald
Dundonald
Dundonald is a large settlement in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies east of Belfast and is often deemed to be a suburb of the city. It includes the large housing estate of Ballybeen, and many new housing estates have emerged in the past ten years....
and renamed as the Ulster Hospital.
A seven-year £98m refurbishment programme was announced in 2001. Initially, there were plans to build an entirely new hospital, but these were scrapped. The redevelopment has included an ungraded A&E department, a new maternity block, a critical care unit and a renal unit. In the redevelopment plans were revised in 2006, with the work being split into two phases with total investment increasing to over £340m by 2016. The new plans also include seven new operating theatres and a multi-storey car park. The car park was opened in 2007, helping to solve significant shortages in the past.