‘Long live Hospital at Home’ …a very grateful patient


A FERMANAGH patient has been singing the praises of the Hospital at Home service and the South West Acute Hospital. The Fermanagh resident fell ill at home and when their condition worsened they decided it was best to ring an ambulance. Within approximately 20 minutes the paramedic team arrived and after their initial assessment, rushed […]

Patient empathy as horror stories continue to emerge


LAST week the ‘Herald shared yet another story of a local patient’s horrific experience of having to travel from Fermanagh to Derry for emergency general surgery (EGS), just as this paper has been reporting for almost two years now since the suspension of EGS at the SWAH. As happens often, this story prompted significant empathy among […]

Fermanagh doctors featured in WWII Roll of Honour


FERMANAGH doctors who served in World War II, including a pioneering Enniskillen man who transformed breakfast tables across the globe, have been commemorated in a new book. Dr Denis Burkitt, of Laragh, Ballinamallard, is among the doctors celebrated in ‘Irish Doctors in the Second World War’ by Patrick J Casey, Kevin T Cullen and Joe P Duigan. The book contains […]

My 48 hours in ED purgatory


IT’S one thing reading and writing about it, but it’s hard to fully comprehend the ever-escalating crisis in our local health system until you experience it for yourself. For the past year-and-a-half, I’ve been speaking with local patients forced to make the more than 100-mile round trip to Altnagelvin for treatment since the removal of emergency general […]

Don’t ignore warning signs, says cancer sufferer


A CANCER sufferer has encouraged local men to not delay and contact their doctor if they notice any health issues, as early detection ‘saves lives’. Paul Baron from Carrybridge wants to raise awareness about the importance of early diagnosis as it has given him every chance to overcome testicular cancer. “I had no symptoms whatsoever, but one day I […]