‘Frustrated’ patients raise concerns over Tyrone GP practice

PATIENTS at one of the largest rural GP surgeries in the Omagh district say lives are being put at risk by escalating issues at the practice.

These include lengthy delays for the collection of vital prescription medicines and difficulties making appointments to see doctors.

The management of Dromore and Trillick Health Centre – which has more than 6,000 registered patients – was taken over by the Western Health Trust in 2022.

However, there are fears the Trust’s reliance on locum doctors may have led to disruptions in service provision.

A meeting of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council’s Health and Social Care Services Sub-Committee on Tuesday heard that local
people have become increasingly ‘frustrated and concerned’ at the growing inadequacies of the current system.

DELAYS

These include significant delays for patients seeking prescription medications, with some waiting up to a week for them to be available.

People are also struggling to secure appointments, both in-person and over the phone. This will be exacerbated next week when the practice will prohibit people from queuing outside before 8.30am.

Local resident, Caeleen Fitzpatrick said getting through to the surgery was like ‘winning a golden ticket’.

“For the past month I’ve been seeking a referral from the GP. All it would take is an email, but I’ve told that I need to see the GP yet I still haven’t been able to get through on the phone to make an appointment,” she said.

“The practice is now stopping people from going to the window first thing in the morning to try and book to see the doctor. It’s like waiting to get the golden ticket, but the situation is especially concerning for older people who have to wait so long for someone to answer their call.”

‘LIFE OR DEATH’

Martin Maguire, from Dromore, said he faced a ‘life or death’ wait to get injections which he requires on a daily basis.

“I don’t need the stress of having to wait to see if my repeat prescription will be available in time.”

A spokesperson for Maguire’s Pharmacy in Dromore confirmed that local people could be waiting up to a week for their prescriptions to be provided.

“Many people are coming into us and saying that they’ve ordered their prescriptions five or six days previously, but they’re still not ready,” they said.

“There’s a constant backlog of repeat medication not getting
through.

“It is taking a lot longer for the surgery to process the prescriptions, get the signature of the doctor and then provide it to us.

“All of this is extremely frustrating. People are having to constantly chase medication and maybe have to get back in contact with the surgery… which is also a nightmare.”

‘HUGE PROBLEM’

Sinn Fein councillor, Colette McNulty, who raised the matter at the council’s health sub-committee meeting, said the delays in regards to prescriptions were a ‘huge problem’ in the locality.

“Repeat prescriptions are not being sent, and patients are going to
the chemist several times a week
only to be told that they haven’t arrived.

“It’s extremely frustrating, and this is on top of the problems of people trying to get an appointment.”

The Western Trust said that it would try and answer the queries in relation to Trillick and Dromore surgery ‘as quickly as possible’.