Letterkenny General Hospital
Encyclopedia
Letterkenny General Hospital (LGH) is an acute hospital serving 147,000 inhabitants of County Donegal
in the Republic of Ireland
. The hospital currently employs over 1700 people, with more than 565 of these being nursing staff . It contains around 360 beds at present.
The General Hospital replaced the County Hospital which opened in 1832 and closed on August 31, 1960. Nowadays the hospital consists of a single storey building that dates from the 1960s, and a multi-storey extension built above this and opened in 1981. Most of the facilities are housed in this building but some, such as the dental, ophthalmic and some mental health facilities, are housed across the road in St. Conal's Psychiatric Hospital
.
Seamus Heaney
, awarded the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature
, and his wife were driven here after Seamus had a stroke in 2006.
On 14 July 2009 a gang of men entered the hospital, one of them brandishing an axe. He subsequently made his way to floor E where he baricaded himself into the staff room. Areas of the hospital were sealed off during the incident to prevent further movement. The man was later talked out by family members and staff and surrendered the axe. It is understood that the man was making his way to the intensive care unit to visit the husband of a deceased member of his family. He had taken an overdose after his wife died in a car crash. It is also believed that a man entered the intensive care unit dressed as a priest with a knife hidden under his garments. He left the scene peacefully.
Floor B contains the Emergency Department, Coronary Care Unit, radiography, medical wards 1, 2 and 3, maternity unit, gynaecology ward, post department, stationery department, coffee dock and staff canteen amongst others. Floor C houses the orthopaedic and paediatric units and Floor D houses surgical wards 1 and 2, as well as the HDU (High Dependency Unit). Floor E is Theatre where most surgery takes place and is also where the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) and its waiting room may be found.
In November 2008 it was confirmed that work was to begin on a new emergency department and medical wards at the hospital measuring in the region of 6,600 square metres. Construction began in January 2009, at a cost of approximately €22 million, and is expected to be completed in late 2010. The new facility will provide three medical floors which will consist of 72 beds, two thirds of which will be provided in single rooms. The new Emergency Department will have 19 treatment spaces, incorporate an 11 bed Medical Assessment Unit and an X-Ray room. The mortuary chapel will be moved from its current position to a new location during construction.
County Donegal
County Donegal is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Border Region and is also located in the province of Ulster. It is named after the town of Donegal. Donegal County Council is the local authority for the county...
in the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. The hospital currently employs over 1700 people, with more than 565 of these being nursing staff . It contains around 360 beds at present.
History
St. Conal's Psychiatric Hospital
St. Conal’s Hospital is a psychiatric hospital located in Letterkenny, County Donegal, Ireland. It is adjacent to Letterkenny Town Park near Letterkenny General Hospital. It is the only psychiatric hospital located in County Donegal and is considered to be "one of the finest buildings in the...
.
Seamus Heaney
Seamus Heaney
Seamus Heaney is an Irish poet, writer and lecturer. He lives in Dublin. Heaney has received the Nobel Prize in Literature , the Golden Wreath of Poetry , T. S. Eliot Prize and two Whitbread prizes...
, awarded the 1995 Nobel Prize in Literature
Nobel Prize in Literature
Since 1901, the Nobel Prize in Literature has been awarded annually to an author from any country who has, in the words from the will of Alfred Nobel, produced "in the field of literature the most outstanding work in an ideal direction"...
, and his wife were driven here after Seamus had a stroke in 2006.
On 14 July 2009 a gang of men entered the hospital, one of them brandishing an axe. He subsequently made his way to floor E where he baricaded himself into the staff room. Areas of the hospital were sealed off during the incident to prevent further movement. The man was later talked out by family members and staff and surrendered the axe. It is understood that the man was making his way to the intensive care unit to visit the husband of a deceased member of his family. He had taken an overdose after his wife died in a car crash. It is also believed that a man entered the intensive care unit dressed as a priest with a knife hidden under his garments. He left the scene peacefully.
Layout
The main hospital building has a total of five storeys, labelled Floors A to E in ascending order. Upper floors may be accessed by stairs or by lifts, of which there are three. Floor A is dedicated to reception, administration and the day clinic and also contains the hospital shop.Floor B contains the Emergency Department, Coronary Care Unit, radiography, medical wards 1, 2 and 3, maternity unit, gynaecology ward, post department, stationery department, coffee dock and staff canteen amongst others. Floor C houses the orthopaedic and paediatric units and Floor D houses surgical wards 1 and 2, as well as the HDU (High Dependency Unit). Floor E is Theatre where most surgery takes place and is also where the ICU (Intensive Care Unit) and its waiting room may be found.
In November 2008 it was confirmed that work was to begin on a new emergency department and medical wards at the hospital measuring in the region of 6,600 square metres. Construction began in January 2009, at a cost of approximately €22 million, and is expected to be completed in late 2010. The new facility will provide three medical floors which will consist of 72 beds, two thirds of which will be provided in single rooms. The new Emergency Department will have 19 treatment spaces, incorporate an 11 bed Medical Assessment Unit and an X-Ray room. The mortuary chapel will be moved from its current position to a new location during construction.
Hospital specialities
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