Lagan Valley Hospital

Infobox Hospital
Name = Lagan Valley Hospital
Org/Group = South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust


Caption =

Location = Lisburn,
Region = County Antrim
State = Northern Ireland
Country = United Kingdom
HealthCare = NHS
Type = District General
Speciality =
Emergency = Yes
Affiliation=
Beds =
Founded = 1947
Closed =
Website = http://www.southerntrust.hscni.net/home/Craigavon%20Area%20Hospital%20-%20contact%20details.html
Wiki-Links = |The Lagan Valley Hospital is a hospital in Lisburn, County Antrim, Northern Ireland. It provides services to an estimated 125,000 people from Greater Lisburn, the Lisburn City Council area and other parts of South East Ulster.

History

The hospital can trace its roots back to a workhouse on the same Hillsborough Road site that opened during the famine. The workhouse which was then known as the "Lisburn Poor House", became the "Lisburn and Hillsborough District Hospital" in 1922. After a major extension, the hospital was renamed "Lagan Valley Hospital" in 1947. The hospital has seen great enlargement in years since, hastened by the closure of the geriatric units at Killowen and Lissue. [cite web|url=http://www.lisburn.com/books/historical_society/volume2/volume2_4.html|title=Lisburn Historical Society: Volume 2 - Health and Wealth in the Borough of Lisburn.|"|publisher=E.J.Best|accessdate=2008-08-01] . At the turn of the millennium, the hospital was granted a new Accident and Emergency wing.

Today

In February 2008, the trust announced that maternity services were to cease at the hospital in 2009. The decision sparked major controversy and heralded the 'Save our Services' campaign, which was backed by local politicians and local newspaper, the Ulster Star. The move was part of measures to cut costs, however it has been claimed that the closure will put other hospitals in the region into 'meltdown'. A senior member of maternity liaison committee stated that it would have a 'detrimental impact', as hospitals in Belfast and Craigavon were already 'bursting'. Such claims were rejected by Health minister Michael McGimpsey, who deemed them 'unhelpful'. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/7378325.stm|title=Maternity units 'facing meltdown'. 20/5/08|"|publisher=BBC Northern Ireland|accessdate=2008-08-01] . The closure comes only two years after the decision to strip the hospital of acute services. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/4606164.stm|title=Acute services stopped at hospital. 12/1/06|"|publisher=BBC Northern Ireland|accessdate=2008-08-01]

ee also

*Lisburn
*Lisburn City Council

References

External Links

* [http://www.lisburn.com Lisburn Portal]
* [http://www.setrust.hscni.net South Eastern Health and Social Care Board]