Highest rate earned by consultant at local hospital £150 per hour
Further health strikes to hit SWAH next week
FURTHER strike action has been scheduled to take place at SWAH this week after failed negotiations between health unions across the North and the Department of Health. From 10am to 2pm on Friday, all Unison members from the Western Trust at SWAH, Omagh Hospital and Altnagelvin Hospital. Patricia McKeown, Regional Secretary of Unison said, “The […]
Hospital plea to public as winter pressures hit hard
THE LOCAL health service is under serious pressure all year round but over the next few weeks the demand on services gets even more acute. So much so that the Western Trust is implementing what it describes as a ‘winter resilience plan’ for SWAH to ensure that those in greatest need get top priority. Unscheduled […]
Don’t use us as political football, says health union
ON Monday members of Unison, gathered once again at the picket line to demonstrate their frustrations over pay parity and staffing levels, with further action to cause serious disruption across all boards of the local community and SWAH. Members of the union have demanded that the health service “should not be used as political leverage,” […]
Fears over massive disruption as nurses’ to strike
PHARMACY staff at SWAH kicked off the first leg of industrial action this week, with further strike action by union members to take place over the coming weeks. Chief Executive of the Western Trust, Dr Anne Kilgallen said, “The treatment and care of our patients and service users will remain our top priority. “We wish […]
Staff shortages lead to postponed surgeries
A spokesman for the Western Trust has confirmed that staffing shortages in Altnagelvin Hospital have impacted theatre capacities this week. A spokesman said, “The Trust is currently experiencing issues with theatre staffing shortages in Altnagelvin Hospital and as a result not all theatres are running at capacity. “In order to ensure the number of staff […]
Nurses gearing up for strike action over pay
NURSES may take industrial action in the coming weeks over staffing levels and pay. There are currently around 3,000 vacancies across the North, including hundreds in the Western Trust area, with shortages placing extra pressures on staff to patient ratio. There are fears that strike action could have a devastating effect on the local health […]
Up to five years’ wait for knee and hip operations
FERMANAGH patients needing new hips and knees are having to wait up to five years for an outpatients appointment, and at times over four years to be admitted as an impatient. In the Western Trust’s latest report into orthopaedic services, the area of health concerned with bones and joints, it was revealed the longest […]
Figures reveal more patients forced to travel
NEW figures have revealed what most patients here in the county already knew, that Fermanagh people are asked to travel for treatment more often than patients elsewhere in the Western Trust. The South West Carers and Families (SWCF) group have been carrying out research into the issue of outpatient appointments, and recently submitted a freedom […]
SWAH doctors in the TV spotlight
Filmed at SWAH television cameras follow junior doctors on their foundation year working in the Western Trust.