Omagh facility closure ‘heaps more pressure on health service’

THE Western Trust is being urged to reverse a decision to close aspecialist service for taking blood samples from patients in Omagh.

A phlebotomy hub located at the Omagh Hospital and Primary Care Complex was set up during the pandemic – along with a similar one in Derry – as a space dedicated to withdrawing blood.

They were established to reduce footfall and stop hospitals from being overwhelmed.

However, the service can no longer be provided at both locations locations as funding has ended.

This means that blood withdrawal services which took place at the hubs will now return to hospitals and GP surgeries.

Dr Tom Black, chair of the British Medical Association in the North, has hit out at the closures.

He said the Trust is being ‘short-sighted’ and warned that the closures will put more pressure on staff and patients.

Dr Black said, “Cutting a successful, patient-centred service that helped to ease pressure on both primary and secondary care is another example of the short-sightedness of the department. It’s an extremely backward step that will impact on patients and health service staff. It will push yet more work back onto general practice which is already under immense pressure in the west of the country. Indeed, GP practices are already seeing patients attending asking for treatment room appointments for phlebotomy tests required for outpatient appointments, making GP access even more difficult for other health issues.”

Sinn Féin MP Órfhlaith Begley said she has written to the Trust voicing her concerns at the decision.

“This cut in funding will put even more pressure on the health service and increase waiting lists at a time when it is already in crisis and staff burnt out from working long hours,” the West Tyrone MP stated. “I have written to the Department of Health to raise my concern over the impact this will have on patients.

“One party’s continued blockade of the Assembly has only helped to deepen the crisis in our health service. They should get back to work the rest of us in the Executive to fix the health service now.”

Tihe Western Trust confirmed that the closures are due to the ending of funding related to pandemic services.

A spokesperson told the Tyrone Herald, “Covid funding has now ended and the Trust is no longer able to provide the phlebotomy services at the hub locations. This change will commence at the end of July 2023. Both phlebotomy hubs will cease and we will return to pre-Covid working.”