A PETITION requesting the Western Health and Social Care Trust to reinstate the mobile breast screening service in Fermanagh has received the support of more than 600 people.

In July, the Trust announced that the mobile breast screening unit will not be returning to its Enniskillen location at the Lakeland Forum this year, and said those who had appointments cancelled for Enniskillen would be called to Omagh.

Calling the removal of the service “unjustified” and an “attack on our rural community”, MLA for Fermanagh and South Tyrone Jemma Dolan, who set up the petition, said: “That service is so well used and, since I’ve set up the petition, a couple of people have written to me privately, saying ‘That service saved my life’.”

Speaking to The Impartial Reporter, Miss Dolan highlighted how some people would have availed of the service of the Fermanagh Rural Community Transport to attend their appointments, but said this service is not available outside of Fermanagh, which could result in those people cancelling their appointments in Omagh.

“I’m just really angry with the Trust – the fact that there was no consultation about them removing the service, and there’s no justification for them moving the service. I just think it’s really unfair,” she commented.

Miss Dolan hoped that the petition would make the Trust aware of the anger in the community and across the county about the removal of this service.

“I just don’t like the way it was done. I think we deserve better as the people of Fermanagh. We deserve to be treated as equals and we really need that service back; that’s why I started the petition,” Miss Dolan told this newspaper.