FURTHER events have been taking place this week as local campaigners continue to garner support for the plan to save services at the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH). At the start of the year Save Our Acute Services (SOAS) launched a ‘roadmap’ plan, outlining in practical ways how services can be restored and retained at the […]
‘There is going to be a lot of people dying’
DURING the recent public meeting of ‘Save Our Acute Services’, Fr Brian D’Arcy read out an emotional letter from a patient who was too ill to be there on the night. “I had half my bowl removed three years ago in SWAH, it saved my life, I was in theatre for eight hours and in […]
Campaigners urge locals to attend meeting on SWAH
HEALTH campaigners are encouraging residents to attend a Department of Health meeting in Omagh this week, which is being promoted as ‘helping to shape the health future of the area for years to come’. The Department of Health recently announced that the deadline for its consultation, ‘Hospitals – Creating a Network for Better Outcomes’, has […]
Concerns raised over new SWAH sub-group formation
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. […]
Fermanagh youngster brings Christmas cheer to SWAH
A BELLANALECK schoolgirl has been praised for her ‘thoughtfulness and kindness’ after she truly embraced the season of goodwill by raising money to help children in hospital this Christmas. Macy Connors recently put her creative talents to the test by creating some handmade bracelets, before selling them at a local craft fair. She raised over £200 […]
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 […]
Health rumours could force staff to leave SWAH
STAFF at the South West Acute Hospital “have expressed their disappointment with the rumours” that the ICU department was under threat after the Trust defiantly said it won’t be downgraded. Leading Consultant Cardiologist, Dr Monica Monaghan, feels that speculation on the future of the South West Acute Hospital is having a major affect on the recruitment […]
Trust says ICU at SWAH won’t be downgraded
THE Western Health and Social Care Trust has said there’s “no plans whatsoever” to downgrade the ICU department at the South West Acute Hospital after rumours circulated over its future. There had been speculation locally that the future of the intensive care unit at the SWAH was in doubt, after months of campaigning in a bid […]
Heartfelt appeal as Lisa McHugh’s daughter battles RSV
LOCAL Country music star Lisa McHugh is warning parents to “speak up to protect your baby from illness”, as her daughter Hallie battles Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) at SWAH. “I can’t describe how horrendous it has been to watch her so weak and in so much pain and being unable to take that pain away,” Lisa posted on […]