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THE Omagh district is now facing what health officials say is the most severe flu outbreak in 15 years, with infection rates surging at an unprecedented pace.
New figures from the Public Health Authority show flu cases across the North have tripled in the space of two weeks – rising from 273 to 954.
Locally, infection rates in Fermanagh and Omagh have jumped from 4.3 per 100,000 to 27.4 in just six weeks, placing intense pressure on schools, GP surgeries and hospital services.
The Western Health and Social Care Trust has confirmed that the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH) is now significantly over capacity, with 30 escalation beds in use above its 211 funded beds.
A Trust spokesperson said, “We are acutely aware of the continuing challenges and extreme pressures across our acute hospital sites.
“Unfortunately, due to these pressures, patients waiting for admission are having to wait longer in our Emergency Departments than we would like.
“We apologise for this and want to reassure the public that we are doing the best we can.”
Visitors are being urged to help minimise the spread of infection by washing hands before and after visiting, avoiding multiple patient visits, and not moving between wards.
Omagh pharmacist Brian Bradley of McGrade’s Chemist said the scale and speed of this flu wave is already having a significant impact on both primary and secondary health services.
“In my experience, having a flu outbreak as severe as this so early tends to mean a bad winter ahead,” he said. “From what I’ve heard, the local health service is already strained with people being hospitalised with the flu.
“This year the flu has spread so rapidly, especially with people coming home for Christmas and socialising.”
Mr Bradley said mounting pressures are creating knock-on problems throughout the system.
“With reductions in community health teams, people who could usually be treated at home are being pushed into emergency care.
“Hospitals can do very little with them, so more beds are taken — and as we’ve seen, hospitals reach capacity very quickly.
“For pharmacies like ours, 30 years ago you would have prepared for Christmas. Now, you have to be prepared all year round.”
