60 jobs in pipeline as part of new £2 million care facility

A NEW £2 million healthcare facility is set to be established in Omagh, providing in-patient beds for 15 people and generating dozens of job opportunities.

Willow Tree Lodge and Wood Green Care Home, specialising in care for residents with dementia, physical disabilities, and mental health issues, has secured planning approval from Fermanagh and Omagh District Council for the development on Brookmount Road.

The facility, described as a ‘bespoke care facility’, could potentially create 60 new jobs, spanning roles such as nurses, care assistants, domestic workers, kitchen staff, and a maintenance team.

Stephen Stewart, operations manager with Wood Green, said the new facility should help ease pressures relating to bed shortages.

“We decided that Omagh would be an ideal location and hope that once operational, we can assist the Western Trust in providing additional beds,” he told the UH.

The company, formed in 2017, currently operates two care homes in Newtownabbey.

“We hope to begin construction during the summer of this year, with an anticipated opening date of summer 2025.

“Recruitment is planned to begin towards the end of this year,” Mr Stewart added.

The Brookmount Road site, currently featuring two separate buildings, will see the construction of a link between them.

With approximately 13 cases in the Western Trust’s Physical Disability Services requiring a High Dependency Unit in the Omagh and Enniskillen areas, the new facility aims to offer a locally accessible solution for these clients, reducing the need for placements in other Trust areas.