Today the Minister met with staff in Tyrone County Hospital, and the Western Health and Social Care Trust. He also met members of the Hospital Campaign Group and local representatives.
The Minister said: “I have met today with staff at Tyrone County Hospital including doctors and nurses who provide frontline services. I have been impressed by their dedication and enthusiasm in delivering services to patients during what is a very challenging time.
“I am aware of the concerns of the local population in Omagh and the surrounding areas over the future of hospital services. The Southwest will benefit from the construction of a new £250 million acute hospital in Enniskillen and a new £150 million local hospital complex in Omagh, which will include a mental health facility.
"We need to make sure that we have a 21st Century healthcare system for people living in Northern Ireland. This will mean different kinds of hospitals offering different ranges of services. However, what most matters is providing safe, efficient and first class healthcare.”
The new local hospital complex will provide important local services including outpatient clinics, diagnostics, renal dialysis, day surgery, inpatient beds, services for children and urgent care. It will be a vital part of the health care system for the area which will include the acute hospital being built at Wolff Lough near Enniskillen.
The addition of a health and care centre and mental health facility creates an exciting and very innovative model for the future delivery of a wide range of integrated hospital and primary care services on a single site.
NOTES TO EDITORS:
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