THERE is concern the removal of emergency general surgery (EGS) from the SWAH is putting pressure on the local ambulance service, with hundreds of patients needing transferred to from Enniskillen to Altnagelvin last year. Figures obtained by Save Our Acute Services (SOAS) show that from January 2023 to January 2024 the NI Ambulance Service (NIAS) […]
Exodus of Fermanagh health workers moving south
THE local health service is hemorrhaging experienced professional staff, who are hopping across the border where they are getting “significantly” better pay for doing the same jobs. The Western Trust has warned of a “challenging” situation in retaining Allied Health Professionals (AHPs) in the local service, with over 40 staff leaving the area to go south over the […]
Fermanagh outraged at ‘cultural issue’ comment
FERMANAGH patients are more than willing to travel for elective treatment, they are simply requesting equal access to timely treatment when it comes to emergency care. That’s the message from Save Our Acute Services (SOAS) following local anger at comments made in a report to the Department of Health which stated there was “a cultural issue” […]
Concerns over Altnagelvin Hospital capacity
THERE are concerns Altnagelvin Hospital is struggling to cope with the influx of Fermanagh patients being sent up from the SWAH for emergency general surgery (EGS). There are no current official figures for how many local patients are being sent to the SWAH, as Fermanagh patients are deemed new ‘walk ins’ at the Derry hospital rather than […]
Family recalls horrific C-section journey to Derry
A FERMANAGH family has spoken of their horrific, and ultimately dangerous, experience of having to travel to Altnagelvin Hospital for an emergency caesarean section. Indeed, the couple believe the rapid and very bumpy journey to Derry during labour contributed to a life-threatening condition their son suffered at birth, which saw him spending ten days in […]
SOAS gathers scores of patient horror stories
OVER the past several months, since emergency general surgery was suspended at the SWAH in December, community campaign group Save Our Acute Services (SOAS) has been liasing with local patients on their surgery experiences and journeys. SOAS has recorded scores of these stories, anonymously and in confidence, and has provided the Herald with a summary of […]
Fermanagh over an hour away from life-saving surgery
UPDATED data from Save Our Acute Services (SOAS) has shown the average travel time for life-saving surgery for all patients in Fermanagh is now just under two hours. The group presented the figures at the launch of its ‘New SWAH’ campaign at Fermanagh House last Thursday, in which it outlined its five point plan for […]
Trust denies patients asked to make own way to Derry
DESPITE reports of local patients being asked to make their own way to Altnagelvin, the Western Trust has said it is not part of its normal contingency plans to ask patients to make their own arrangements. Since the suspension of emergency general surgery at the SWAH, local patients requiring non-planned surgical treatment have been transferred […]
Baby would not have survived road trip to Altnagelvin
A FERMANAGH family who were told their baby was too sick to survive the winding, bumpy road to Altnagelvin have hit out at the Western Trust’s claims transferring patients to the hospital will be safe for local people. Since the Trust announced on Thursday it was “temporarily” withdrawing the emergency surgery service from the SWAH […]
Patients face three-hour journey to pain relief clinic
PEOPLE in Fermanagh who require pain management or a chronic pain service are being forced to travel to Omagh or Derry to be seen by a consultant. A Freedom of Information (FOI) request carried out by Enniskillen woman Helen Hamill explains that the Western Trust is currently not providing a chronic pain service at South […]