THEY have been council bedfellows for almost a year now but Fermanagh and Omagh have been pitted against each other once again in the quest to establish an air ambulance service for Northern Ireland.


Fermanagh and Omagh District Council’s endorsement of Enniskillen as the base for a Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) hasn’t gone down too well with political representatives from the Tyrone area.


The council nailed its colours to the mast when responding to a Department of Health consultation titled "Establishing a HEMS for Northern Ireland".
Its response, which saw the council pinpoint Enniskillen Airport as a “suitable location” for a service base, was considered at the latest policy and resources meeting on January 13.


Fermanagh and Omagh District Council's response said: “The Fermanagh and Omagh District Council area would be suitable as a base for the Northern Ireland HEMS as Sloane Helicopters already has a base in Fermanagh meaning there is already a hangar and associated services available. While some alterations may be required, initial start-up costs would be reduced through having the basic infrastructure in place.”


The council argued its case, stating that St. Angelo Airport is around four miles from Enniskillen and 2.3 miles from the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH).


“There is an approximate travel rime of five minutes between the hospital and the hangar meaning medical personnel are extremely close at all times,” says the council.


The council added: “The road infrastructure requires significant investment. Particularly in the West where there is no motorway. Establishing this service in Enniskillen Airport means patients could be transferred from the West more rapidly to the RVH in Belfast to which major trauma patients in Northern Ireland are taken, either straight from the scene of an incident or transferred from another hospital.”


West Tyrone MLA, Ross Hussey, said Omagh has been “deliberately snubbed” in the consultation process.
He added: “Once again, Omagh seems to be disregarded. I can see the logic of the helicopter being serviced in Enniskillen because it has the facilities there. But at the same time, if this is to serve the wider part of Northern Ireland then it has to be more central and as a result, I would have said Omagh was the more logical approach.
“Unless of course, the intention is to service the Republic of Ireland as well, but this is supposed to be a Northern Ireland helicopter service.”


Mr. Hussey said he was also annoyed that Omagh had not been included on the recent list of consultation events on an air ambulance service.
He added: “I feel this is a deliberate snub of Omagh and obviously, any attempt to leave it out, I am going to object to.”


One of the five trustees of Air Ambulance NI, a charity working on the introduction of an air ambulance since 2013, said that he is “very optimistic” Enniskillen will eventually become the base for the HEMS.
Former Fermanagh District Council chief executive, Castlederg native Rodney Connor, said that the Air Ambulance could be “easily established” at St Angelo.


He added: “But of course, it won’t be just my decision to make.
“As part of our work, we have been visiting the airfields across Northern Ireland and considering the feasibility of having the HEMS based at any of them and how the Air Ambulance could best serve the people of Northern Ireland.
“For me, the people who would benefit most from the HEMS are those who live the furthest away from a trauma centre, so that has to be the people living in the west and those cross border areas of Donegal and Cavan.
“I am very optimistic that Enniskillen would be the base. I would have thought Enniskillen would be ideal.”