Fighting for rights was ‘my life’, says Benny Cassidy


AFTER almost 40 years of campaigning for better rights for healthcare staff and patrolling the corridors of Enniskillen’s hospitals, Benny Cassidy has parked up his wheelchair for the final time. Since 1985, the much-loved Enniskillen man has been a constant at Fermanagh’s hospitals, first at the Old County Hospital, then at the Erne Hospital, and most […]


‘Unique’ cancer centre to open in Fermanagh


ENNISKILLEN actor Ciarán McMenamin has said that the new multi-million pound Cancer Support Centre in the town will be an ‘incredible place’ for people living with cancer in the county. Later this year, Cancer Focus NI is set to open the first specific Cancer Support Centre in the old Gordon’s Chemist site on High Street in […]


Fermanagh doctor makes history


AN ENNISKILLEN doctor has made history at the South West Acute Hospital for her use of modern technology which is helping provide ‘first-class medical education’ to young students. A Foundation Year 1 doctor at the South West Acute Hospital, Dr Grace Kettyle, recently teamed up with other doctors from Canada and around Europe. They were […]


Review offers hope for Fermanagh hospital services


A REGULATION and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) review has offered campaigners hope that sense will prevail and the Department of Health will bring forward plans to restore emergency general surgery at the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH). Local hospital campaign group, Save Our Acute Services (SOAS), has welcomed this week’s announcement by the RQIA that it has been commissioned by the […]


Average wait ‘over 40 hours’ for bed at Altnagelvin


THE Save Our Acute Services (SOAS) group has claimed it takes an average time of ‘over 40 hours’ for emergency surgical patients to get a bed in the Altnagelvin Hospital. As part of a large submission made by SOAS to the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA), the campaign highlighted how patients from SWAH are being forced […]


Fermanagh junior doctors’ strike to cause disruption


FERMANAGH patients have been warned that the health service will experience widespread disruption this week due to the two-day junior doctors’ strike. Junior doctors in Northern Ireland are staging the industrial action after pay talks with the Department of Health broke down earlier this year. The strike action will take place from 7am today (Wednesday) to 7am on Friday. […]


Fermanagh woman heads up smoking campaign


A BELCOO woman is heading up the Public Health Agency’s new scheme which is aiming to inform people about the dangers of smoking which is ‘proven to cause cancer and other serious illnesses’. Fermanagh woman Denise McCallion, who works as the Health Improvement Manager at the Public Health Agency, has spoken out following new legislation being […]


WATCH: Fermanagh doctor makes history at the SWAH!


AN ENNISKILLEN doctor has made history at the South West Acute Hospital for her use of modern technology which is helping provide ‘first class medical education’ to young students. A Foundation Year 1 doctor at the South West Acute Hospital, Dr Grace Kettyle, recently teamed up with other doctors from Canada and around Europe. They […]


BREAKING: GP appointed for Fermanagh border practice


THE Swanlinbar community has said they’re ‘delighted’ after the appointment of a new GP. For the past three years the practice just across the border has been run on a full-time basis by a locum GP. On Friday afternoon, Swanlinbar Development Association confirmed that a new GP has been appointed to the Swanlinbar Health Centre […]


Junior doctors to stage more walkouts in the North


JUNIOR doctors in Northern Ireland have said they will stage further strike action after pay talks with the Department of Health broke down. It will see two 48-hour walkouts from May 22-24, followed by a similar walkout from June 6-8. Junior doctors previously went on strike for the first time on March 6. A Western Trust […]