The A&E area of the South West Acute Hospital in Enniskillen RMG15
IT IS understood that the South West Acute Hospital is soon to benefit from at least 16 new staff members.
According to a source within the local health service it is believed that the Enniskillen hospital is to be benefit from four new consultants along with 12 nurses, with the funding for the extra staff approved by the Health and Social Care Board.
The new positions are to be in areas decided upon by local management, but it is thought some of the staff will be deployed to Accident and Emergency. It is believed some of the new staff may start at the hospital within weeks.
The news would come as a relief for staff at the hospital, with this newspaper previously reporting on extreme pressures facing health service workers in Fermanagh. As recently as November the branch secretary for the Fermanagh and Omagh Health Branch of Unison Jill Weir said services were “all at breaking point”.
In response to the reports that the South West Acute Hospital is to benefit from more staff a spokesman for the Western Health and Social Care Trust (Western Trust) confirmed discussions have taken place surrounding the possibility of expanding the medical and nursing workforce.
“The Health and Social Care Board and Public Health Agency (PHA) discuss services provided at South West Acute Hospital (SWAH) with the Western Trust on an ongoing basis.
“It is recognised that the Trust faces particular challenges in terms of recruiting and retaining medical and nursing staff due to the relatively isolated location of SWAH. The Board and PHA have recently met with Trust colleagues, including clinicians, to explore opportunities to expand medical and nursing workforce in order to keep pace with demand on unscheduled care services and more generally. While these are ongoing, the Trust is encouraged by the positive nature of the discussions on strengthening the current workforce.”
Local Independent councillor and mental health practitioner Raymond Farrell said he had heard the reports of the impending staff recruitment.
“I think it is certainly excellent news to see progress and development made in staff recruitment, it’s something I have lobbied both publicly and privately with the Trust and I’m really delighted to see this taking place and coming to fruition. It will be very welcome in terms of staffing to see an increase in the nursing personnel, because I know it is certainly something that a number of ward managers have been quite keen to see progress.”
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