Causeway Hospital marks 25 years as Trust outlines future plans

Anne Campbell, Kevin Cassidy and Paddy Graffin pictured at an event celebrating 25 years of Causeway Hospital.

Causeway Hospital has marked 25 years since opening its doors, with health leaders using the milestone to underline renewed commitments to the future of acute services on the north coast.

Staff, former colleagues, patients, volunteers and members of the Causeway Hospital Partnership Forum gathered on Monday for a special anniversary event celebrating the hospital’s quarter-century at the centre of healthcare provision for the Causeway Coast and Glens area.

The occasion combined reflection on the hospital’s history with a strong focus on what comes next, as the Northern Health and Social Care Trust published a fresh update on its long-term strategic vision for the site.

A hospital built to replace older local facilities

Donna Hanna and Gill Murphy pictured at an event celebrating 25 years of Causeway Hospital.

Guests at the anniversary event looked back on the major transition that took place in 2001 when services moved from Coleraine Hospital and Route Hospital in Ballymoney into the new purpose-built Causeway Hospital.

For many families across the north coast, the hospital has since become one of the region’s most significant public services, serving communities from Coleraine and Ballymoney to Limavady, Ballycastle and beyond.

The hospital’s role has remained under intense public scrutiny in recent years amid wider pressures across Northern Ireland’s health system, particularly around emergency care, waiting lists and the future shape of acute hospital services.

Against that backdrop, Trust leaders used the anniversary to reinforce assurances about the hospital’s future position within Northern Ireland’s healthcare network.

Trust highlights investment and service expansion

Gregory Campbell, Kevin Cassidy, Kathy Mackenzie and Janet Gray pictured at an event celebrating 25 years of Causeway Hospital.

The updated strategic vision document outlines a series of developments delivered over the past two years since the original framework was published in March 2024.

Among the key developments highlighted by the Trust are:

• A £1.8 million investment in ambulatory same-day care pathways

• The installation of a new £2 million MRI scanner

• The appointment of the hospital’s first Advanced Nurse Practitioner (ANP)

• The introduction of a 24/7 mental health liaison service within the Emergency Department

The Trust says the measures are intended to strengthen patient care while helping modernise services in response to changing healthcare demands.

Chair of the Northern Trust, Anne O’Reilly and Chief Executive, Suzanne Pullins pictured at an event celebrating 25 years of Causeway Hospital.

Chief Executive Suzanne Pullins said the Trust remained committed to ensuring Causeway Hospital continued to grow and develop.

She said:

“Over the past two years, we have been working hard to deliver on our Vision for Causeway, ensuring the hospital not only continues to provide excellent care, but that its services grow and develop to meet the needs of our local population.

“I know how much Causeway Hospital means to this community and I know that people care deeply about its future. That is something we share.

“Causeway Hospital has a proud past but, more importantly, it has a strong, confident and ambitious future, and we remain committed to shaping that future together with the community we serve.”

Hospital also becoming a major sustainability project

Some of those who attended the 25^th anniversary celebrations at Causeway Hospital.

Alongside healthcare investment, the Trust also highlighted Causeway Hospital’s growing role as a leading sustainability project within Northern Ireland’s health estate.

The hospital is now home to the largest solar photovoltaic installation on a health and social care building in Northern Ireland, as well as one of the biggest rooftop solar schemes anywhere on the island of Ireland.

Trust officials say the investment is aimed at reducing long-term energy costs, improving operational efficiency and supporting wider environmental goals.

The sustainability focus also reflects the hospital’s location close to the Giant’s Causeway UNESCO World Heritage Site, with the Trust stating it recognises the importance of protecting the surrounding environment for future generations.

Future of Causeway Hospital remains closely watched

The anniversary comes at a time when the future of hospital provision across Northern Ireland continues to generate significant political and public debate.

Causeway Hospital has repeatedly been at the centre of those discussions, particularly following proposals around the centralisation of some emergency general surgery services to Antrim Area Hospital.

While concerns over hospital services have sparked strong public reaction in recent years, the Trust says the updated strategic vision demonstrates its continuing commitment to maintaining and developing Causeway Hospital as a key part of the region’s acute hospital network.

The updated “Causeway Hospital: A Strategic Vision” document can be viewed on the Northern Trust website at:

Causeway Hospital: A Strategic Vision

Twenty-five years after patients first arrived at the new facility, the hospital remains both a vital healthcare hub for the north coast and a focal point in the wider debate about the future of health services across Northern Ireland.