Downe Hospital
South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust
Entrance to Downe Hospital
Downe Hospital is located in Northern Ireland
Downe Hospital
Location in Northern Ireland
Geography
LocationDownpatrick, County Down, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom
Coordinates54°19′15″N 5°41′35″W / 54.3208°N 5.6930°W / 54.3208; -5.6930
Organisation
Care systemHealth and Social Care in Northern Ireland
TypeDistrict General
Services
Emergency departmentNo (Temporarily closed 2020)
History
Opened1767
Links
WebsiteOfficial website Edit this at Wikidata

Downe Hospital (Irish: Ospidéal an Dúin) is a local hospital in Downpatrick, County Down, Northern Ireland. It is managed by the South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust.

History

The derelict old Downe Hospital at Pound Lane

The hospital has its origins in the Down County Infirmary which opened in Saul Street in October 1767.[1] It moved to the site of the old horse barracks in Barrack Lane, now Fountain Street, in 1774.[2]

A new infirmary was established at Pound Lane in 1834[3] but by the late 1970s it was already becoming apparent that it was incapable of further expansion.[4]

A modern hospital, which was designed by Scott Wilson Group[5] and built on Ardglass Road at a cost of £64 million, opened in June 2009.[6]

After services transferred to the new hospital, the old infirmary on Pound Lane closed and was acquired by a developer in November 2014.[7]

The redevelopment of the former hospital site at Pound Lane began in May 2018. The development includes a range of new social houses in the form of apartments, two and three storey homes and bungalows.[8]

The Infirmary Building which fronts Pound Lane is a Grade B2 listed building and had received various small additions over the years. Most of these were stripped back after its closure to reveal the original Victorian Hospital. The Fever Hospital at the rear is also Grade B2 listed. Both buildings have been incorporated into the development plan as apartment blocks and work began on their restoration in April 2021.[9]

The Downe's emergency department was temporarily closed on 30 March 2020 due to a lack of funding. A consultant led urgent care center opened in its place, offering non-life threatening treatment for unscheduled medical care. [10]

References

  1. ^ "Downe Hospital". National Archives. Archived from the original on 10 April 2019. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  2. ^ McGrath, Charles Ivar (2012). Ireland and Empire, 1692-1770. Routledge. ISBN 978-1851968961.
  3. ^ "The neurological practice of a district general hospital" (PDF). Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry. 1987. pp. 1397–1401. Archived (PDF) from the original on 10 April 2019. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  4. ^ "Campaign for a new general hospital in Downpatrick". Down Recorder. 7 February 1978. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  5. ^ "Downe Hospital". E-Architect. Archived from the original on 1 April 2019. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  6. ^ "Downe Hospital A&E future to be decided". BBC. 24 November 2010. Archived from the original on 25 April 2019. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  7. ^ "Old Downe Hospital site must be secured". The Down Recorder. 24 June 2015. Archived from the original on 26 September 2021. Retrieved 10 April 2019.
  8. ^ "Planners give approval for latest phase at housing site". The Down Recorder. 10 June 2020. Archived from the original on 12 May 2021. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  9. ^ "Downpatrick Hotelier Says Don't Bulldoze Our Listed Buildings". Down News. 20 November 2012. Archived from the original on 26 September 2021. Retrieved 11 May 2021.
  10. ^ "Decision not to reopen Downe Hospital A&E as planned 'completely unacceptable'". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. 5 October 2020. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 18 January 2024.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Downe Hospital.
South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust
Hospitals in Northern Ireland
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