The Ulster Hospital, commonly known as the Ulster, is a teaching hospital in Dundonald in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is within the townland of Ballyregan, beside the A20 road. It provides acute services in the North Down, Ards and Castlereagh council areas, as well as east Belfast.
The Ulster Hospital is the major acute hospital for the Trust and delivers the full range of acute services for the population. This includes a type 1 Emergency Department which is open 24/7, a comprehensive range of diagnostic services, the full range of outpatient, inpatient and daycase medical and surgical services, cancer care, coronary care, obstetrics and paediatric services.
The regional Plastic and Maxillo-Facial services are mainly delivered from the Ulster site.
The Ulster has 90,000 Emergency Department attendances and over 4,000 births each year.
Whether you are coming to the Ulster Hospital as a patient or a visitor, the links on the right will give you all the information you need about our hospital.
Opening hours
Emergency Department - open 24 hours every day
By Car
The Hospital is situated on the Upper Newtownards Rd. This makes the hospital easily accessible to both Belfast (via the Newtownards Rd, Knock Rd, Hawthorndon Way and the A55 off the Sydenham bypass) and Newtownards (via Kempe Stones Rd).
The Hospital is also accessible from the south via the Comber Rd and the East Road Link. There is a rear entrance to the hospital accessible via Stoney Rd. If travelling by car please allow time to park and walk to the appropriate facility.
By Bus
You can use the Jounrey Planner on the Translink website to plan your route to the Ulster Hospital.
Parking at the Ulster Hospital
Access to the Hospital is via the Main Entrance on the Newtownards Road at Dundonald opposite McDonald’s outlet and is controlled by traffic lights.
As one enters the site a large electronic sign immediately gives information to visitors of space availability and directional arrows to visitor car parks including a dedicated 55 space car park for ‘Disabled Blue Badge’ use located close by the main front entrance.
A further 14 spaces are available for disabled use within the Care of Elderly Upper Car Park.
Additionally, car parking is provided in the Multi-Storey car park which is located to the rear of the Emergency Department and provides close access to our new Inpatient Ward Block.
On the Ulster Hospital site, bicycle racks are provided at the following locations:
Free Wi-Fi
The South Eastern Health & Social Care Trust has implemented free ‘HSC Free Wi-fi’ across all hospitals and Trust facilities in the South Eastern area.
The Trust is the first health & social care organisation in Northern Ireland to provide this service which provides huge benefits to patients, service users, staff and visitors to Trust facilities.
This service enables users to access the internet on their personal mobile devices (e.g.smartphones, laptops and tablet devices) whilst they are an in-patient in our hospitals or when visiting any of our facilities. It particularly benefits those patients who are in hospital for longer periods, enabling them to stay in touch with the outside world and their family and friends.
Catering and Shops
Acute Services Block Restaurant
The Acute Services Block Restaurant is open to all staff, patients and visitors. It serves a selection of hot and cold food, snacks and beverages.
Opening Hours:
Monday – Sunday, 7.30am – 6.00pm
Inpatient Ward Block Cafe
The cafe is situated on Level 2 of the Inpatient Ward Block and is open to all staff, patients and visitors. Serves coffee, teas, cold drinks and snacks .
Opening Hours:
Monday – Sunday, 9.00am – 4.30pm
Maternity Cafe
The cafe is located in the ground floor of Maternity building and serves coffee, teas, cold drinks and snacks .
Opening Hours:
Monday – Friday 9.30am – 4.30pm
