THE COUNCIL is calling on government to cover the costs of the Air Ambulance service. Currently, the Ambulance Service and Department of Health supply and fund all the paramedics and doctors working on the Air Ambulance. However the Air Ambulance NI charity, which is reliant on public fundraising donations, funds the aviation aspect of the […]
Public urged to fight for the SWAH stroke unit
PEOPLE have been urged to come out in force once again to defend SWAH’s stroke unit. The Department of Health has announced a public meeting on proposals to ‘reshape’ stroke services across the North which will be held at the Killyhevlin Hotel, Enniskillen on June 19 at 7pm. The consultation includes six options with four […]
Use it or lose it: fears for future of meals on wheels
Elderly and vulnerable people have been urged to sign up for the meals on wheels service provided by South West Acute Hospital with fears that the service could be lost. These meals are hot, nutritious and provided for those who meet the criteria led down by the Department of Health but recently the numbers of […]
Drop-in stroke sessions ‘working round the clock’
THE Fermanagh Stroke Support Group will be working round the clock in the coming weeks, offering drop-in and local sessions across the county in response to the SWAH stroke unit consultation. As many people as possible are urged to avail of the drop in service, or attend their local session, to ensure as strong a […]
Teachers’ target practice …all in a good cause!
TEACHERS at St Kevin’s College were the target as kind hearted Aoife O’Donnell raised funds for the Paediatric Diabetic Unit at SWAH. Year 9 pupil Aoife O’Donnell organised a very successful ‘Soak the Teacher’ event on Thursday lunchtime. 13-year-old Aoife was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes in April 2017. Since then, she has received […]
Woman ‘left in the dark’ over smear test recall
A YOUNG pregnant woman has been left in a state of anxiety after she received a letter asking her to retake a smear test as part of the Western Trust’s Cervical Smear Tests Review. The woman is one of the 61 women from the Western Trust area who have been asked to re-take a smear […]
Health board ‘broke its word’ on future of SWAH stroke
THE Health and Social Care Board (HSCB) has come under fire for failing to announce the next proposed stage for stroke services in the South West Acute Hospital. The future of the unit at SWAH which has previously been recognised as the best performing facility in the North continues to be clouded with uncertainty. Now, […]
Patients facing lengthy delays in SWAH emergency
Patients were faced with lengthy waiting times and delays in admission as pressure mounted at the Emergency Department at the South West Acute Hospital over the weekend. It is believed that approximately 18 patients had been waiting on trolleys overnight on Monday 11 February. The Herald had asked the Trust to confirm how many patients […]
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 […]
Mother’s anger as no doctor on duty at out of hours
A MOTHER has hit out after she was left waiting for hours for a call back as there was no doctor on duty at the local Out of Hours GP service. The woman, who did not wish to be named, contacted the Herald after the incident earlier this month. “We said it was an emergency […]