by Louise Doyle
LETTERKENNY Community Hospital is expected to open in the second half of next year – slightly later than initially expected.
The €52 million development will comprise 110 beds, including a mix of long/short stay rehabilitation and dementia care with associated resident accommodation.
It had been anticipated that the new community hospital on the Kilmacrennan Road would be operational in early 2026, but the facility will now not open until the second half of next year.
Responding to a query from the Donegal News, a HSE spokesperson said: “Letterkenny Community Hospital is currently midway through the construction phase with substantial completion expected to be achieved in Q2 2026.
“Following substantial completion of the building, the operational commissioning phase of the project will take place with the new hospital expected to open in the second half of next year.
“The completed development will comprise of 110 beds including a mix of long/short stay rehabilitation and dementia care with associated resident accommodation.”
The first floor of the new Letterkenny Community Hospital will provide two 25 bed households for step down or medical rehab use alongside a Rehabilitation Unit.
The Rehabilitation Unit will comprise of Physiotherapy treatment rooms, Occupational Therapy rooms, Speech and Language Therapy room, consultation room and outdoor therapy space.
The ground floor of the development will provide two 25 bed household units which will accommodate 50 long stay residential beds with outdoor space.
Each household will comprise of single bedrooms with en-suite facilities. There is also one twin room all with en-suite facilities.
There is a day room, activity room, dining room with a dedicated kitchenette and an assisted bathroom.
Separate to the household this floor will provide for the main hospital catering department, staff changing/ dining facilities and other service delivery areas.
The lower ground floor will provide a 10-bed dementia specific unit which has been designed as a household model with an additional multi-sensory room, quiet room and courtyard spaces/garden.
The design of the Dementia unit will support the continued engagement of the residents living with dementia in meaningful person centered activities.
Separate from the dementia unit, the lower ground floor will also provide for the main entrance, reception area, office space and communal facilities for the hospital such as hairdressers Room, reflective room, visitor room and meeting rooms.
The project was designed by MCA Architects (Dublin) and Local Contractor Boyle Construction were appointed to build following an open tender process.
The then Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly turned the sod on the new Letterkenny Community Hospital in November 2023.
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