NEWLY graduated occupational therapists (OT) are struggling to find jobs throughout the Western Trust area. Similar to the graduate nurses who have previously contacted this paper after finding no vacancies in the local health service this Fermanagh OT graduate has said they have been told there is little possibility they will be finding a role this […]
Trust administering 1,000 vaccines per day
THE WESTERN Trust has vaccinated over 31,000 people since it began its roll out, and is continuing at a rate of up to and even over 1,000 vaccinations a day. The impressive statistics were revealed by chief executive Dr Anne Kilgallen at a recent Trust board meeting. Giving a brief outline to the board of […]
Trust boss to retire this summer
THE HEAD of the Western Trust, Dr Anne Kilgallen, is to retire this summer. Dr Kilgallen, who took up the post as chief executive of the Trust in 2017, recently turned 60. Last week she announced her plans to retire from her post this June. “It was an extremely difficult decision for me to make. […]
‘Horrendous pressure’in midst of Covid admissions surge
A COVID ward manager at the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH) has spoken out about the “horrendous pressure” staff are facing every day as they struggle to cope with the huge surge in admissions during recent weeks. Sister Mairead Boyd, who oversees Ward 9, said that the last two weeks had definitely been the worst […]
Security threat prevents SWAH getting Covid-19 support
BRITISH military personnel will not be deployed to help at the SWAH due to security concerns. Last week it was announced over 100 medically trained members of the military were to be brought in to the North to assist and support hospital staff in their continuing fight against Covid. The announcement was not been as […]
Cardiologist’s striking video watched over 100,000 time
A SENIOR doctor has made an emotive appeal to Fermanagh people to follow public health guidelines as SWAH continues to fight the battle against the virus. Dr Monica Monaghan, consultant cardiologist at the South West Acute Hospital provided a behind the scenes look at what working on the front line is like at present. Speaking […]
Concern over access to mental health help
THE WESTERN Trust has said mental health services have been open and available to everyone who needs them throughout the pandemic, although some have questioned this claim. In a letter to the local Council, responding to concerns previously raised about local mental health provision in recent months, Trust chief executive Dr Anne Kilgallen said the […]
Union rep warns against post-Covid cuts to NHS
THE PUBLIC have been urged to be vigilant against any potential cuts to the local health service as it emerges out of the Covid surge. In recent weeks both the Department of Health and the Western Trust have announced their plans for resetting and rebuilding services. Jill Weir, who is a health campaigner and chairwoman […]
Positives may yet come out of the pandemic
THERE is no doubt Fermanagh’s the Covid crisis has been a tragedy, with local lives lost and the county’s economy left in tatters. However, believe it our not, the pandemic may actually lead to some positive and much needed changes in the county. In fact, with the transformation across the whole of society in recent […]
Patients returning to SWAH as Covid infection rate fall
AS THE Covid infection rate continues to fall locally and the Western Trust continue to restore their services, it has been revealed that the Emergency Department at SWAH is now as busy as it was before the outbreak. At a virtual press briefing last Friday, during which Trust boss Dr Anne Killgallen paid a passionate […]