Case for Enniskillen hospital remains strong

The case for situating a new hospital in the Enniskillen area is as strong as ever Ulster Unionist assembly member Sam Foster has said.

Fermanagh and South Tyrone Assembly member Sam Foster said he was disappointed that the Health Minister refused to confirm the Hayes Report recommendation that a site in Enniskillen or north of Enniskillen was the preferred option for developing better health services in the southwest.

The health minister revealed plans for a shake-up in how Northern Ireland’s hospitals and health service should be run last Wednesday.

One of the more controversial decisions unveiled was the decision to strip the hospital in Omagh (Tyrone County Hospital) of its acute facilities and build a new hospital in or north of Enniskillen in County Fermanagh.

The SDLP’s MLA Joe Byrne for West Tyrone has staunchly resisted the proposals since they were announced.

“Plans to grant enhanced services to Enniskillen at the expense of Tyrone County hospital are based on a flawed analysis.”

“She is plumping for Enniskillen solely because she has failed to have meaningful negotiations with Minister Michael Martin to allow patients from each side of the border to be rushed to the nearest hospital.”

However Bairbre de Brún said the proposals would bring about a more effective service - improving the treatment of life-threatening illnesses like cancer and heart disease.

Backing the proposal for Enniskillen Mr Foster said: “The figures clearly show that building a hospital at or to the north of Enniskillen would mean 8,744 people in Fermanagh and South Tyrone would have a travel time to hospital of more than 45 minutes and 2,131 would have a travel time of between 50 and 55 minutes. None would be more than 55 minutes away from the hospital.

“Locating services at Omagh would mean 24,250 people in Fermanagh and South Tyrone would have more than 45 minutes to travel and 21,234 of them would have more than 50 minutes journey time.”

(AMcE)