Health Minister Mike Nesbitt told MLAs that the Western Trust has submitted a £73 million proposal to redevelop the emergency department at Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry.

The minister said the trust lodged the revised plan with the Department of Health in July last year. He added that any commitment to proceed depends on capital funding secured through the Budget process and the identification of ongoing revenue to cover increased operating costs.

The current facility was designed for 40,000 attendances per year but now handles 80,000, Sinn Féin MLA Pádraig Delargy told the Assembly.

Nesbitt confirmed the department operates well above its intended capacity and said the trust must submit an updated outline business case if both capital and revenue funding become available.

He said work is under way to develop alternative care pathways, including urgent care services, to reduce pressure on the emergency department.