Foster and Hamilton praise healthcare in Fermanagh

Date published: 12 February 2016

Speaking at Lakeland Health and Care Centre, First Minister Arlene Foster MLA, said: “I am privileged to welcome the Health Minister to Fermanagh today to witness the excellent work being undertaken across the health service in Northern Ireland.

"I continue to be impressed by the quality, dedication and commitment of health service staff and the facilities on offer. I am delighted to have had the opportunity to see the brand new South West Acute Hospital and local GP surgeries this morning which are being funded through a number of different routes.

"These facilities are proof that all possible resources are being explored to deliver the best possible healthcare to the people of Northern Ireland.

The Health Minister Simon Hamilton said: “I am delighted to have been able to come to Fermanagh today and see the great work done by our GPs and our hospital staff. The Erne Health Centre in particular is a shining example of collaborative working between five GP practices to ensure they can deliver multi-layered care to their patients. The planned development of the Centre premises will also allow for a range of Trust services to be provided alongside the GPs. This will essentially create the Enniskillen ‘hub’ facility as prioritised by the Western Local Commissioning Group and specified in the Primary Care Infrastructure Development Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP). I know this ‘hub’ will be of great benefit to the people of Enniskillen.

“The Lisnaskea Health Centre offers vital services and clinics to the surrounding area and is dedicated to providing high-quality care. I would like to thank the staff in both GP facilities for their hard work and commitment.”

During the visit to Enniskillen, the Ministers also visited the South West Acute Hospital where they met patients who had been admitted following a stroke. It opened on 21 June 2012 at a cost of £270million and provides a range of services including 24/7 emergency department; critical care services; inpatient medicine; major and emergency surgery; consultant-led maternity services; stroke unit; and a dedicated Women’s Health Unit.

Speaking at the visit, the Health Minister said: “The South West Acute Hospital is a superb facility but I have been equally impressed at the work being done to develop and improve services and putting the infrastructure in place to have them delivered as close to the community as possible.

“We all are well aware of the pressures placed on our budget but today I witnessed how we can provide the healthcare we need by considering innovative and alternative funding methods such as private initiatives or loan schemes.”

Chief Executive of the Western Trust, Elaine Way said: “Delivering excellent health and social care services can only be achieved by the passion and commitment of our clinical leaders, management and staff. Today’s visit by the Ministers provided the perfect opportunity to showcase some of the tremendous work which takes place at the South West Acute Hospital on behalf of our patients.”