No relief from Western Trust in pain clinic

Editorial Department • Published 4 Mar 2010 12:56 0 Comments

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Dear Sir, - A close family member can only too well identify with the pain and predicament experienced by Mrs Abram as she too is in a similar position. No local pain clinic and no hope of one either despite the fine words of the Trust.

Where is the "linked activity in the Erne" with all of this? If they can't attract an anaesthetist how are they going to get top quality doctors and specialists for the new hospital? This is a real concern for local people.

Actions speak louder than words. Mr Holmes would have given more than adequate notice to the Trust for them to advertise the post well in advance of his departure, which is indeed a loss for his pain clinic patients. Absolutely no consultation took place with his patient list as to the way forward following his retirement and they were left suffering not knowing what was going to happen to them. Mr Holmes was very good at his job and genuinely cared about his patients.

Eventually my relative was referred to a pain management clinic in Omagh but the doctor's bedside manner there left something to be desired both during initial consultation and a second visit. He flatly refused to continue the pain control regime and left her in pain since. The staff in Omagh were very considerate however and it was apparent that they held Mr Holmes in great esteem.

When one is in such great pain as Mrs Abram is, travel anywhere is virtually impossible. On a bad day even getting to the Erne could be virtually impossible for her. How on earth can one be perhaps referred to the Musgrave when the travel home alone has to be endured with the distinct possibility that all the good (of the painkilling injection/intervention) would be undone as we have been told it would be considering the two hour journey back to Fermanagh.

Does Mr Holmes do private? His patients would give their eye teeth for him to come back and give them some modicum of relief for it isn't coming from the Western Trust.

Name and address supplied

This letter appeared in Impartial Reporter 04 Mar 10

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