The Royal Hospital Donnybrook (RHD), the oldest voluntary hospital of its kind in Ireland or Britain, is planning a significant expansion of services, including the provision of 30 extra complex extended care beds, thereby increasing its overall in-patient capacity by 15%. It is also taking the opportunity to significantly upgrade the last two remaining Nightingale wards in the hospital.

The hospital's housing association (Royal Hospital Donnybrook Voluntary Housing Association) is about to acquire 20 additional social housing apartments in Donnybrook, some of which will offer supported independent living to adults with disabilities, and almost doubling its stock to 49 units.

A further development at the hospital will be the siting there of a Multi-Disciplinary Primary Care Team offering services to local people in their own homes, and through various clinics on site including child development, wound dressing and physiotherapy.

The RHD was established in 1743, and today it provides rehabilitation, complex extended care and respite services to older people and to adults with physical and neuro-disability in 200 in-patient beds. It also operates a 25-place day hospital.

The Chief Executive of The Royal Hospital Donnybrook, Graham Knowles, said that this was an exciting time for everyone working there. “These developments– the provision of additional capacity and services– are the result of very positive collaboration with the HSE and, where the apartments are concerned, with Dublin City Council. We are delighted to be able to increase bed capacity in sectors where there is a significant community demand.”