CONCERNS were raised at a meeting of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council last Tuesday over the lack of clarity surrounding staffing plans for the proposed Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) at the new Lisnaskea Health Centre.
Work is progressing on the long-awaited new facility in the town, with the first sod turned on the construction site this week last year.
The new hub will support a network of 16 GPs and provide services to around 30,000 people in the Lisnaskea and surrounding east Fermanagh area.
Speaking at the meeting, Councillor Noeleen Hayes criticised the Health Minister, Mike Nesbit’s response to council correspondence, describing it as ‘not right and really disrespectful.’
She reminded members that the council had written to the Minister on November 19 seeking detailed information on the rollout of the MDT, including plans to recruit appropriate clinicians and allied health professionals for the new facility.
Cllr Hayes said the Minister’s reply stated that responsibility for trust-managed services rests with the Western Trust, and that staffing numbers had not yet been confirmed.
However, she questioned why the Minister was able to provide more detailed information when responding to similar questions in Stormont.
“Colleagues asked the same question in the Assembly and he gave quite a detailed answer,” she said.
“How can he give a detailed response in Stormont but not to us. In Stormont, he didn’t say it wasn’t his responsibility.”
Cllr Hayes noted that, according to comments made by the Minister in Stormont, there are tentative plans to recruit two physiotherapists and mental health care workers, potentially beginning in January and March this year.
However, she highlighted that there was no mention of GP provision in either the Stormont response or the letter to council.
She said GP capacity was a central reason for developing the new health centre, as existing GP services in Lisnaskeaare struggling to cope with the current volume of patients.
“That was the whole point of this project,” she said.
Cllr Hayes questioned whether GPs would be transferring from the current Lisnaskea Health Centre or whether new recruitment would be required, and called for urgent clarity on the matter.
She also sought confirmation of the planned opening date for the centre, which the Minister has indicated is hoped to be by the end of this year.
Cllr Hayes conclude, “It was deeply frustrating that council queries to the Minister were either unanswered or met with vague responses.
“When we ask anything, he either doesn’t respond properly or gives us a vague answer. It’s not right and it’s really disrespectful,” she said.
Councillors agreed to write again to the Health Minister seeking clearer information on staffing, GP provision and the timeline.
