Major upgrade for local hospital

The Southern Health and Social Care Trust will be migrating all electrical supplies on the site on to a new high voltage system.

Craigavon Area Hospital first opened in 1972 and demand for services has increased year on year to support its growing population.

Last year there were 129,000 outpatient appointments, 80,000 emergency department attendances and 14,000 surgical operations were carried out at the hospital.

The hospital has a wide range of key services including a 24 hour Emergency Department, Maternity Department, Surgery, ENT, Paediatrics and Intensive Care Unit.

The site is also home to a number of area wide services including the Mandeville Cancer Unit, The Bluestone Inpatient Mental Health Service and the central base for GP Out of Hours.

Esther Gishkori, Southern Trust Director of Acute Services, commented on the importance of the upgrade: “Craigavon Area Hospital is an essential part of the Southern Health and Social Trust’s hospital network, which serves a population of over 360,000.

“We want to ensure that we continue to offer a standard of safe and high quality service expected of a modern acute hospital in an effective and efficient way,” Ms Gishkori emphasised.

“Craigavon Area Hospital is over 40 years old and this essential work is necessary to sustain our growing infrastructure and facilities on the site to support our continually increasing demand for services.”