WITH the Western Trust continuing to struggle to recruit and retain medical staff to work at the SWAH, help with the crisis may be on the way from across the Atlantic. Last week a letter from the Embassy of Cuba was delivered to the Council’s policy and resource committee, indicating the country could be ready to […]
Drive to get mass letter sent to Department of Health
A LETTER intended to be circulated amongst the public in order to send a resounding message to the Department of Health (DoH) has been brought out by the Save Our Acute Services (SOAS) group. Launched at the group’s public meeting at Fermanagh House this week, SOAS hope to have 10,000 copies signed and sent to […]
SWAH ‘consolation prize’ blasted as ‘disgraceful’
THE new elective surgery unit for overnight patients at the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH) has been blasted as a “disgraceful consolation prize”. Announced by the Western Trust, the new unit has its first patients this week in a move to help the Health Service in the North reduce waiting lists for surgical procedures. However, […]
General surgery move will only be ‘a sticking plaster’
WHILE local community campaign group Save Our Acute Services has cautiously welcomed comments from the Department of Health that elective surgeons could intervene in emergency situations at the SWAH in future, it has warned this will only be “a sticking plaster” to the current crisis. Cllr Donal O’Cofaigh from SOAS said Western Trust chief executive […]
Trust issues guidance to local GPs on bypassing SWAH
“In the case of life-threatening emergencies, there is no one who can guarantee absolutely that the patient will not come to harm.”
Council ‘scored own goal’ with fireworks cancellation
THE Council has been accused of scoring “an own goal” in cancelling the Halloween fireworks display. Furious uproar was expressed when the Council put the fuse out on the planned £40,000 fireworks display with many people taking to social media to express their disgust that the event was abruptly cancelled. The decision, which had been […]
Cutting emergency surgery could harm entire community
CUTTING emergency surgery at the SWAH could not only have “a domino effect” on many other services at the hospital, but could also harm the entire Fermanagh community for years to come. That was yet another message from a meeting held at Fermanagh House last week, organised at the last minute in response to a […]
Mass protest planned against SWAH cuts
WITH the axe hanging precariously over emergency surgery at SWAH – and potentially many more acute services and the entire status of the hospital as a consequence – a major public protest is being planned in Enniskillen in the coming weeks and the entire community is being urged to attend. Last week the Western Trust […]
Fears SWAH may be downgraded
THERE are fears the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH) could be downgraded to a “glorified clinic” after the Western Trust warned the hospital’s ever-shrinking acute surgery workforce was approaching unsafe levels. It had been expected that the acute surgery service, also known as emergency surgery, would be withdrawn this week, which would result in Fermanagh […]
‘Unacceptable’ sewage discharge harming both the environment and the economy
THE ONGOING situation of raw sewage being pumped into the Erne in the area surrounding Enniskillen is not only harming the local environment but is “intolerable” in an area dependent on aquatic tourism. That was the message delivered to NI Water at a recent special Council meeting regarding the current state of the local sewerage system, which […]