Concerns over accommodation at Carrickmore Health Centre

CONCERNS have been expressed at the lack of clarity over a solution to long-term accommodation challenges at Carrickmore Health Centre.

Health Minister Robin Swann shed some light on the situation at the Assembly last week, stating that the centre’s capital plan is currently under scrutiny within the Strategic Planning and Performance Group (SPPG) of the Department of Health.

He added that the timescale for a solution for Carrickmore Health Centre will be dependent on the outcome of this capital plan and the confirmation on availability of funding through the DoH’s overarching ten-year plan.

The predicament faced by patients at the GP practice, which caters to thousands, is extremely challenging.

The building, deemed ‘bursting at the seams’, has forced patients to wait outside for appointments, highlighting the urgent need for infrastructure upgrades.

Back in 2022, doctors at the practice warned that a failure to invest in new facilities could have serious repercussions for the long-term sustainability of the surgery, which had to stop registering patients in 2021 because of the accommodation problems. Last year, a crisis response team was called in to support the health centre due to a shortage of GPs.

West Tyrone MLA, Declan McAleer, said that the situation being faced by Carrickmore Health Centre needs to be addressed “as a matter of urgency.”

“As a local representative and someone who has received treatment there, I want to pay tribute to the staff who continue to deliver an excellent service, despite the urgent need for improved accommodation,” he stated.

“I have been engaging with the Minister, the Department, the Western Trust and directly with the Strategic Planning and Performance Group (SPPG) about the challenges facing Carrickmore Health centre.

“Now that we have a Health Minister back in place at Stormont, I will continue to press the case for Carrickmore Health Centre at every opportunity. Our local community and the hard pressed practice staff and GPs deserve no less”.