The new £33m South Wing of the Western Health and Social Care Trust's Altnagelvin Area Hospital in Londonderry – designed by HLM Architects in Glasgow in association with Hall Black Douglas – has been commended in the Best Hospital Design Award category at the Building Better Healthcare Awards ceremony.

The scheme was also a finalist in the Best Use of Visual Art in Healthcare award.

Now in its 11th year, the awards received a record 156 entries and following selected site visits, an interview day and a 'Dragon’s Den' style product pitching day, the awards were decided.

Altnagelvin's new wing was opened in May by the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh and cost £33m.

The 17,000sqm wing has ten new departments and key services include maternity and neo-natal, oncology, elderly care wards, rehabilitation and hydrotherapy, as well as a new patient records department and staff changing facilities.

The low rise buildings are built around a series of landscaped courtyards and provide new south facing wards with views to the Sperrin Hills and surrounding open landscape.

A comprehensive arts strategy has also been fully integrated with design of the building resulting in a number of major artworks being located at key points internally and externally and a series of art boxes and feature walls being incorporated throughout the building for use as part of a dynamic ongoing healing arts programme.

Harry Smith, Project Associate at HLM Architects, said: "It has been a privilege to be involved in this project.

"The new South Wing is the product of a great team effort between the dedicated Western Health and Social Care Trust and both our Northern Ireland and Scotland offices who worked closely together, taking the time to understand the hospital's requirements and develop an innovative, creative design on a tight budget.

"We have already had very positive feedback from patients and staff, and it is a great honour to be recognised at a national level too," he said.

(BMcC/NS)