Northern Health and Social Care Trust announces that new Causeway Hospital MRI unit building has begun
The Northern Health and Social Care Trust has announced that construction of a new MRI unit at Coleraine’s Causeway Hospital began this week.
In a post on social media, the Northern Trust said: “The investment will provide state-of-the-art diagnostics for our patients with the unit set to become operational in June 2025.”
Kevin McMahon, Director of Surgery and Clinical Services, said: “Improving and enhancing our diagnostics at Causeway is one of our priorities for the hospital and is part of our Strategic Vision for its future.
"We believe Causeway is perfectly positioned to become an elective and diagnostic hub for the North West and the start of this building work is further progress towards that being achieved.”
The post elicited a number of differing opinions on the announcement – some comments mentioned the on-going consultation on moving emergency general surgery from Causeway Hospital to Antrim Area Hospital, writing: “Just need to keep the hospital open for the folks that need it” and “Adding an MRI unit to a hospital that’s closing down bit by bit? How many times have they considered closing A and E? Maternity gone. General and emergency surgery is in dispute.”
However, others welcomed the news saying: “At long last such good news, the money the Trust will save from transport will be enormous. Hopefully this money will be invested wisely like extending A&E the way they did in Antrim. It is so needed both hospitals’ A&E units are under extreme pressure every day now”. Another wrote: “Fantastic news hopefully it will speed up diagnosis and shorten waiting lists. Will save money also on taxis and transport in long run.”