WITH the ongoing GP crisis in Fermanagh, and to a lesser extent across the North, expected to deepen in the months ahead, local campaigners have urged the Health Minister to provide urgent funding to prevent the collapse of yet more practices.
Last week, chair of the British Medical Association, Dr Frances O’Hagan, warned the funding being offered by Minister Mike Nesbitt for the year ahead was not any where near enough to help provide a safe service and to prevent further practice collapses in the face of growing demand and costs.
Dr O’Hagan noted the problem was particularly serious here in Fermanagh.
Now, Save Our Acute Services (SOAS) has urged Minister Nesbitt to immediately increase funding for rural GP practices, to help them recruit and retain critical staff.
“The NHS delivery model was built on the coordination and collaboration of the various layers of health care provision,” said SOAS spokesman Donal O’Cofaigh.
“Unfortunately, the failure to plan ahead, invest in staff development and recruitment, and the huge sums wasted on private providers, has resulted in multiple healthcare services in Fermanagh suffering service collapse and crisis.
“Each of these has put further pressures on the other services, which themselves are already struggling to cope.”
Mr O’Cofaigh explained how the consequences were far-reaching.
“The Department of Health heat maps since 2022 confirm the huge spike in attendance at A&E at the SWAH,” he continued.
“This happens at a time when we should be seeing a decrease in SWAH A&E numbers, with many patients bypassing SWAH to Altnagelvin for treatment since the suspension of surgery.
“The crisis in primary care is a major contributor to the local increase in A&E attendance, which means many people in desperation are going to the emergency department for treatments they ideally would be receiving from their GP.”
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