The newly appointed Deputy Medical Director for the Western Health and Social Care Trust (Western Trust), Professor Ronan O’Hare, has described some health services, including GP services in Fermanagh, as “vulnerable”.

In a wide-ranging interview regarding his new role, Prof. O’Hare discussed his new role within the Western Trust, waiting lists, the shortage of medical staff and the “perfect storm” that led to the suspension of emergency general surgery at the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH).

When asked by The Impartial Reporter if SWAH services are secure, he said: “Current services are secure. But the difficulty that you have is, when you’re dependent on the small number of consultants and staff providing that care that one of them gets sick or there’s annual leave [then there’s a potential issue].”

He continued: “They are vulnerable services [as] I would describe them. Currently they’re stable, and currently we’re well staffed.”

Referencing the suspension of emergency general surgery at the SWAH, Prof. O’Hare said: “We were very unfortunate that it was a sort of a perfect storm for surgery where we had three surgeons leaving at the one time – no service could withstand that here.

“If we had the same scenario again, it would be very difficult to manage.

“The Western Trust is absolutely committed to continue to provide the same level of care as we have done.”

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Later in his interview with this newspaper, Prof. O’Hare described health services including GP services and hospital services as “vulnerable”.

He said: “There is a shortage of medical staff, there is a shortage of consultants, there is a shortage of GPs.

“The bulk of healthcare is delivered in the community, and make no doubt about that – and Fermanagh in particular – [GP services] is under real pressure at present.

“Any GP practice is very vulnerable at the moment, and the same applies for hospital services.”

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Explaining his new role, Prof. O’Hare said: “There’s a review of structures within the Western Trust and part of that was a review of the medical directors.

“There was felt a need for a Deputy Medical Director for the purpose of supporting the Medical Director. But also, there’s going to be recommendations coming out of things like the Watt Inquiry.

“Those recommendations will have to be implemented, and mean a much more robust governance scenario for all staff, not just medical staff, but for management staff, for nurses, pharmacists and much more accountability.”

Prof. O’Hare will still be seeing patients and on call while in his new role.

Of this continued patient engagement, he added: “It is the best part of the job by miles,” and he will still be a key player regarding the future of the SWAH and Omagh Hospital.

READ MORE: FOI shows Western Trust knew risks of withdrawing emergency surgery

When asked how he would like to see the health service transformed as part of his new role, and stemming from recommendations from the Watt Inquiry, Prof. O’Hare said: “What I would like to see are regional waiting lists, so there is no longer a waiting list for a hospital, or to no longer have a waiting list for a Trust.

“The second thing we’d like to see is a single employer for consultants – a regional employer – so consultants go where the work is.

“Whilst you’re affiliated to a hospital, or a Trust, you can be sent anywhere, as per your contract.

“I think that is the crux of where we are going to be able to utilise all of the facilities across the province.”

‘Harmonisation’

He added: “There needs to be a harmonisation that people have the same right of access.”

Prof. O’Hare thanked people across the community for their support of the SWAH, and for those who work there.

He said: “I know it has been a difficult time for the population in Fermanagh and Omagh, but in the background, you have to be reassured we are continuing to work away and mitigate against all risk that we can.”