Health Minister Simon Hamilton speaks to Gareth McKeown RMG64
HEALTH MINISTER Simon Hamilton has said people in Fermanagh need to accept that they will have to travel ‘a little further’ for some aspects of healthcare.
His comments came on a visit to Fermanagh at a time when there is growing concern that not enough procedures are being provided at the South West Acute Hospital.
In his trip to the county the minister visited Lisnaskea Health Centre, Lakeland Health and Care Centre in Enniskillen before making his way to the South West Acute Hospital, for what was his first visit to the facility.
“It’s my first visit, but everybody tells me it’s fantastic facility, huge investment, nearly £300m spent on an acute hospital for the South West region, which is what it is and what it will remain.”
With regular complaints about waiting lists for operations in the region and with patients being forced to travel as far as Ballykelly for knee operations the minister said that work was ongoing to reduce the waiting levels in Fermanagh, but accepted sometimes travel was required.
“My view is that having to travel a little further to get the right procedure to get it in a timely manner, is something that people should be willing to accept.”
His department received £40m in November from then Finance Minister Arlene Foster and according to Mr Hamilton this money is already having an impact upon waiting lists with “60-70,000” people getting procedures who otherwise wouldn’t have got them.
When asked about local concerns regarding staffing levels and recruiting staff in Fermanagh the minister said there were difficulties in terms of recruiting and retaining staff, but this was not a problem exclusive to Fermanagh. “Maybe a little more acute here,” he remarked.
Mr Hamilton explained that measures are being taken to address the shortage of doctors in Western Trust region.
“The investment in more doctors in training will see over 30 doctors in training working in the Western Trust area by 2017, six of those will start in SWAH in August.”
He continued: “There are issues, but we’re trying our best in terms of making those appropriate investments to increase numbers of doctors in training, consultants right across Northern Ireland, but also trying to address problems here in Fermanagh and the west generally.”
During his visit, Health Minister Simon Hamilton also assured the people of Roslea and Kesh that no final decision has yet been made on the future of the Carn Court and Creamery House Care Homes.
Mr Hamilton said “no final decision” has been made in regards to the future of both homes, proposed for closure by the Western Trust.
“In both those cases I understand that the Trust obviously have looked at their services, consulted upon them and made their recommendations. That’s now working its way up through the system. Nothing has arrived on my desk yet. What I will do and the assurances I will give people is when it comes to me , to my desk I will give it careful consideration, look at all the evidence, all the facts and make the right decision.”
The minister further highlighted concerns in regards to our local GP services in Fermanagh and noted that “thankfully” Ederney practice will remain open after a consortium of local doctors agreed to take over the surgery.
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