ALLIANCE councillor Eddie Roofe has voiced concerns that the creation of a new subgroup within the Strategic Development Group (SDG) for South West Acute Hospital (SWAH) could be an attempt to sideline the Fermanahg & Omagh District Council from discussions. The SDG, established in 2023 following the suspension of emergency general surgery at SWAH, includes […]
Winter pressures mount on Fermanagh health service
By Niamh McGovern THE Western Trust continues to face severe pressures on services this winter, with ‘full escalation of beds on all wards and departments’. On Sunday, the Trust recorded 286 attendances across Altnagelvin Hospital and South West Acute Hospital (SWAH), with 86 patients waiting for a bed and 163 waiting in the Emergency Department. […]
NHS pay rise proposals given tentative welcome
By Alan Rodgers STORMONT Health Minister Mike Nesbitt’s proposals on a fresh pay settlement for NHS workers have been given a guarded welcome locally. The UUP leader has offered health workers a rise in their pay which mirrors the value of increases in England. These will be implemented in two different tranches due to what Mr Nesbitt describes as ‘ongoing pressures’ […]
Workers ensure service continues on Christmas Day
WHILE many will be enjoying turkey dinners and indulging in festive chocolates on Christmas Day, some of Fermanagh’s unsung heroes will be on the frontline, ensuring essential services continue. Enda Love, a well-known porter at South West Acute Hospital, will be working from 8am to 2pm, providing vital help to in-patients. “To be honest, I’m […]
‘Country music saved me’ says Derrylin musician Anthony
ANTHONY McBrien has spent nearly three decades wowing audiences, and his passion for music remains undiminished even as he navigates one of the most challenging periods of his life. The 53-year-old Derrylin man has experienced it all on the local music scene – writing songs, forming his own band, supporting American stars like Randy Travis, […]
Fermanagh girl (5) raises awareness about arthiritis
A FIVE-YEAR-OLD Fermanagh girl living with a lifelong form of arthritis is determined to break the stigma around long-term conditions and inspire others who share her diagnosis. Ellie, who was diagnosed with Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA) at just two-years-old, faces daily pain caused by the autoimmune condition, which affects approximately one in 1,000 children under […]
PSNI to investigate death of Ederney teen
THE PSNI has launched an investigation into the sudden death of Katie Donnelly, an 18-year-old from Ederney, who passed away in September 2022 while being treated at the Tyrone and Fermanagh Hospital in Omagh. Katie, diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), was an in-patient at the hospital. Her family has launched a complaint following her […]
Enniskillen human milk bank seeks new donors
IT HELPS hundreds of babies across Ireland each year, and now the SWAH-based Human Milk Bank has issued a fresh appeal for donor mums to help it continue it’s life-saving work. The only one of its kind on the island of Ireland, the team at the Western Trust run facility, which provides breast milk to neonatal […]
MP blames Tory austerity for pay dispute
FERMANAGH health care workers have been told they “should not have to take strike action” after they were informed that any future pay deals will not match those of their counterparts in the UK. Local employees were left furious after the Northern Ireland Department for Health said they are financially unable to implement the recommended […]
Fermanagh Pharmacies could reduce working hours
FERMANAGH pharmacies could be set to cut their working hours and stop home deliveries as a lack of funding and financial support continues to have a devastating impact on the health sector. The National Pharmacy Association recently ran a ballot with some pharmacy owners in the North, England and Wales voting in favour of a […]