THE PEOPLE of Fermanagh care deeply about our local hospital and our health service, and will do all they can to protect it.
That is the message from local Cllr John Coyle, who was speaking to the Herald as part of our ‘South West Acute Hospital is a great place to work’ series.
Cllr Coyle, who works in housekeeping at the SWAH, hit back at claims that the current rhetoric surrounding the hospital was too ‘negative.’
Referring to the various local press articles and Council motions on the issues regarding the withdrawal of emergency general surgery at the hospital – which the Western Trust said is due to chronic staff shortages – Cllr Coyle said the reason the feelings were running so high in the community about the issue was because everyone here knew the SWAH and Fermanagh was “a great place to work and live.”
“It is because our community loves our local hospital, and that is why we are so passionate,” he said, adding no one in the community wanted to talk down the hospital or the staff. Quite the opposite.
“It’s not about me being negative, it’s not about any politician about being negative. Our health is our wealth and we need to be protective.”
Appealing to any medical or other staff who may be considering coming to work at the SWAH, Cllr Coyle pointed to a wonderful working environment at the hospital itself, and to what a wonderful county Fermanagh was to live in, with top class education, beautiful scenery, and a caring community.
Noting anyone who took a job at the hospital would be working for the people and patients, not the Trust, he said, “It’s not about the chief executive, it’s not about the board, it’s about the lovely people who are in Fermanagh and Omagh.
“You’ll have great craic and fun with people here, but you’ll also have varied and wide experience of medicine in this area.”
Cllr Coyle, left, noted it had been said in various quarters that medical staff did not wish to work at small hospitals as their case load would be limited, but pointed out while the local population may be small, the area was a hotspot for visitors, and staff at the hospital often reported dealing with patients from a wildly varied background.
“I know the population is only 115,000 in Fermanagh and Omagh, but we have an influx of tourists,” he said. “We are a destination area for tourism, so they could see very wide varied conditions.”
Paying tribute to his “fantastic colleagues” in housekeeping, who had been on the frontline during the pandemic, Cllr Coyle said at all levels of the hospital and across the various departments – from consultants to cleaners – the atmosphere was professional yet relaxed and friendly.
From his own point of view, he said management were happy for him and his colleagues to take the time to talk with patients, which allows “a personal experience that makes people feel better.”
“We laugh, chat about the weather. It makes their stay in hospital better,” he said. “Families know they are getting looked after and getting the best care they can.”
Cllr Coyle added it was the same among those who worked at the hospital, with everyone friendly and welcoming to fellow colleagues, whether they are local or have moved to the area.
“The Fermanagh community has been shown to be the friendliest in the UK, and that transfers to the staff who are employed,” he said. “We have a caring nature and they do their best.”
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