The closure of services at the South
Tyrone Hospital in Dungannon is
leading to more admissions to the
Erne Hospital in Enniskillen and
Tyrone County Hospital in Omagh.These additional admissions leading to more cases of surgery
is also putting pressure on the budget of the Sperrin Lakeland
Trust, according to Mr. Eugene Fee, director of acute services.
By May this year, there were 114 cases admitted to Sperrin
Lakeland Trust hospitals as compared to a target of 72 cases.
Of these 114 cases, 85 were emergency cases.
Mr. Fee, speaking at the monthly meeting of the Sperrin
Lakeland Trust Board in Enniskillen, revealed that they were
currently in discussion with the Southern Health and Social
Services Board which is responsible for the south Tyrone area,
about contract volumes for the current financial year.
There is an agreement in principle that medical cases in the
Clogher Valley area up to just beyond Ballygawley Roundabout
will be treated at the Erne Hospital while those on the western
side of the Clogher Valley up to Pomeroy will go to Omagh.
Everyone recognises that the volume of such patients will
increase over the coming year, particularly as the Southern
Health Board is currently planning for the closure of general
medical and coronary care services at the South Tyrone
Hospital. This is likely to take effect from the end of July.
The Sperrin Lakeland Trust is now anticipating that these
changes will further increase the volume of emergency
admissions from these areas to their two hospitals.
This will then put pressure on the number of beds currently
available at the Erne and Tyrone County Hospitals which are fast
filling up.
One of the Assembly members for the South Tyrone area, Mrs.
Joan Carson, has been seeking an answer from the Health
Minister, Bairbre de Brun over the transfer of services from the
South Tyrone Hospital.
Asking the Minister what policy she would pursue in the case of
South Tyrone Hospital where the term ‘temporary transfer’ was
used to avoid a judicial review, he was told that a temporary
transfer was one which was made until final decisions on the
long term future of hospitals in that or other, board areas could
be put in place.
Mrs. Carson commented,”South Tyrone Hospital has seen so
many temporary transfers that it now remains with only a
remnant of its former services. The people of the South Tyrone
area deserve a better health service without one of increased
travel and longer waiting lists.”
