Constituency Issues

Acute Hospital

Councillor Josephine Deehan, SDLP councillor, local GP and a candidate for West Tyrone in the forthcoming Assembly elections, is claiming that the new proposed Acute Hospital in Enniskillen is clearly unsustainable. Doctor Deehan was reacting to the recent acceptance by a leading Fermanagh DUP politician that the Health Department's proposal to reduce clinical biochemistry and haematology services at the Erne site was undermining the viability of the proposed new hospital. In a statement she said:

'For a long time Omagh campaigners like myself have been pointing out that the real agenda of the Department is to build up the 'sixth golden hospital' at Altnagelvin to the detriment of both Tyrone County and the Erne.

Talk of a new acute hospital in Fermanagh has been a decoy used to attempt to destroy acute services in Omagh, where real viability lies because of our strong geographic and demographic situation.'

"The party of reality"

Councillor Deehan continued:  'It is important to point out that Tyrone County remains open and available - thanks in no small measure to the sterling efforts of the Hospital Steering Committee, a body which has received steady and unremitting support from my council. Without the efforts of this formidable group, Tyrone County would be long gone- nothing but a precious memory. Instead it is very much alive and my reason for entering this election campaign is to carry forward the issue of local health services within the broad package of human issues which marks out the SDLP. We are not interested in tiresome posture and sham showdowns - we are the party of reality.'

Returning to the issue of local acute hospital services, Doctor Deehan said:  'The fight for a new acute hospital in Omagh is still on - it needs to be brought to the cabinet table in any new administration.  The SDLP can do that as a major party. We are seeking the support of everyone in West Tyrone who really cares about having a sustainable acute hospital for this region.'