The Western Health and Social Care Trust (Western Trust) Allied Health Profession Palliative Care Support Team are delighted to launch ‘’Fans Support You’ Campaign from October 7 to October 13 2019 with the support of sporting organisations across the Western Trust area.

Fermanagh GAA and Ballinamallard FC are no strangers to fans supporting them in their sporting arenas. They recently joined Western Trust staff at the South West Acute Hospital to launch a campaign to raise awareness amongst patients and Staff on the role of a handheld fan in helping with breathlessness; "Fans support you!"

Margaret Darcy, Western Trust Macmillan Specialist Palliative Care Team explains: “Many long term conditions for example renal failure, heart failure, cancer or respiratory conditions such as COPD can cause breathlessness, and there lots of ways to help people self-manage this symptom including the use of a handheld fan. Though there is lots of research to show handheld fans are of benefit, there is very little awareness as to how useful a fan can be. We are delighted to launch the ‘Fans Support You’ campaign to raise awareness of the benefits of using a handheld fan. From the research, we know that by cooling the cheeks, nose and mouth with the handheld fans it reduces the rate at which we breathe and the feeling of breathlessness. Whether you are a patient or a member of staff, if you would like to find out more please keep an eye on our launch week on Trust’s digital media channels and call into our drop in sessions on the following dates and locations across the Western Trust area:-

Monday October 7 2019 from 10am to 12noon and 2pm to 4pm in the Front Entrance, Altnagelvin Hospital, Londonderry.

Tuesday October 8 from 10am to 12noon and 2pm to 4pm in the Main Foyer, Omagh Hospital and Primary Care Complex.

Wednesday October 9 from 10am to 12noon and 2pm to 4pm in the Main Foyer, South West Acute Hospital, Enniskillen.

Handheld fans will be available to purchase in our Ground Floor Coffee shops at the North West Cancer Centre, Outpatients and South Wing on the Altnagelvin Hospital site and South West Acute Hospital and also the shop at Omagh Hospital and Primary Care Complex.