A new ward consisting of 26 beds has opened at Sligo University Hospital.
The new Medical Offsite Ward was opened earlier this week.
Consisting of six four-bed rooms and two single en-suite rooms, the ward will provide additional bed capacity, improved accommodation for patients and is intended to ease patient flow from the Emergency Department and throughout the hospital.
It is intended to benefit patients who may require a few additional days under the care of hospital staff, in a calm environment away from the busy ED and other wards.
The cost of the design, building and equipping of the new ward was over €2.5 million according to the HSE.
Many patients from the south and west of Donegal make use of Sligo’s Emergency Department, with many patients across Donegal also making use of the hospital for appointments and procedures that are not available in Donegal.
In a statement, Grainne McCann, Hospital Manager at Sligo University Hospital, said that: “This new development is a welcome addition to the hospital, allowing us to expand our inpatient care in a new contemporary ward designed to provide personalised, compassionate care to support our patients’ medical needs and recovery during their inpatient stay.”
Patient, Elizabeth Fallon, said, “When I came to the new medical ward, I was flabbergasted with the space and facilities. Everybody here is fantastic and the atmosphere is great. Everyone was very welcoming and cheerful on my arrival to the ward. The physios are fantastic. Last night was the first night I got a good sleep. My son who came into see me was also amazed with the new environment.”