Patients dispute Trust claims


LOCAL patients have been contesting claims by the Western Trust that it is not its normal practice to ask Fermanagh patients to make their own way to Altnagelvin for surgery. Since the suspension of the emergency general surgery service at the SWAH in December, local patients requiring unplanned surgery now have to be treated in […]


Campaign for ‘New SWAH’ heats up


THE CAMPAIGN for a ‘new SWAH’ has hit the ground running in Fermanagh this past week, with tens of thousands across the county signing up for the plan in just a handful of days. The Save Our Acute Services group launched its new vision for the SWAH at Fermanagh House last Thursday, which included a five-point plan […]


Drive to get mass letter sent to Department of Health


A LETTER intended to be circulated amongst the public in order to send a resounding message to the Department of Health (DoH) has been brought out by the Save Our Acute Services (SOAS) group. Launched at the group’s public meeting at Fermanagh House this week, SOAS hope to have 10,000 copies signed and sent to […]


Call to ditch Western Trust for a new one


THERE have been renewed calls to replace the Western Trust with a new one that is focused on Fermanagh. Robert Patton, speaking at a Save Our Acute Services (SOAS) meeting at Fermanagh House earlier this week made the proposal to a packed audience as part of the group’s five-point plan for the South West Acute […]


Trust say Trillick and Dromore GP services ‘stabilised’


THE Western Health Trust will likely continue to run the Dromore and Trillick GP service for the foreseeable future, it has confirmed. The Trust stepped in to take over the running of the practice last July after its resident GP resigned. The takeover was unprecedented, as the Trust does not normally have responsibility for the […]


Trust denies patients asked to make own way to Derry


DESPITE reports of local patients being asked to make their own way to Altnagelvin, the Western Trust has said it is not part of its normal contingency plans to ask patients to make their own arrangements. Since the suspension of emergency general surgery at the SWAH, local patients requiring non-planned surgical treatment have been transferred […]


Anger at removal of SWAH rheumatology


FERMANAGH patients have said they were “fuming” to find out rheumatology services had been removed from the SWAH without the Trust informing them. Around 400 local patients were on the books of the service – which deals with chronic inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis – at the Enniskillen hospital. The Western Trust has confirmed this service has been […]


Lifesaving neonatal unit saved at SWAH


THE neonatal unit at the SWAH is back up and running, following much hard work at the Western Trust, and the director who has driven this success said she feels it shows the Trust can “get it turned around with obs and gynae” too. In January last year the Herald revealed the life-saving had been slashed […]