DOCTOR shortages are continuing to devastate the Fermanagh community as local rural surgeries fight to survive.
With the crisis spreading across the county, the latest to be hit is Brookeborough and Tempo surgery where the Herald learned there is regularly not enough GP cover.
One reader told how she has not been able to see a doctor or get an appointment at the Brookeborough and Tempo GP despite being called up by a surgery receptionist earlier in the week to be told she had to get blood tests taken urgently.
“I’d rather not know about it at all. At least I wouldn’t be sitting here worrying about it,” the woman said.
“I went to the surgery at 8.45am to book an appointment in person but was told that can’t be done as it’s unfair on those phoning in for an appointment. I’ve been calling in since then but have got no answer.”
Others said they had been unable to see a doctor or get an appointment with one in the past fortnight.
The Western Trust took over the contract for Brookeborough and Tempo GP on September 1, 2023. The temporary arrangement with the Department of Health was to secure ongoing GP cover for the practice.
However, last month the Western Trust recently warned of a high risk of having no GP cover at the local practices it had taken over the running of in the past number of years, with residents attending Brookeborough and Tempo surgery the latest to be affected.
Tempo and Brookeborough is just the latest areas to be hit by the ever-shrinking GP workforce in the county, with residents of other areas such as Roslea already painfully aware of the impact of having no cover.
No one knows this better than pensioner John McCluskey from Roslea who had to take matters into his own hands.
After suffering severe chest pain, the 80-year-old drove himself to his nearest surgery, Lisnaskea GP, where he was taken from here to the SWAH and then the Altnagelvin Hospital for further treatment.
“Only I was lucky enough to be able to drive myself to Lisnaskea, I probably wouldn’t be here today at all,” he explained.
“The closing of the GP surgery here in Roslea was a disgrace. Everyone is suffering in the area because of it.”
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