Ulster Unionist Councillor Matthew Bell has welcomed the announcement from Health Minister Robin Swann that Omagh has been selected as the location for Northern Ireland’s next Regional Day Procedure Centre.

Councillor Bell said:

“I’m delighted that Omagh Hospital and Primary Care Complex has been chosen to become Northern Ireland’s second day procedure centre. In effect that means it has now become a ring-fenced hub for the delivery of day case surgical procedures, supporting greater numbers of patients both locally from the Western Trust as well as from right across Northern Ireland.

“Despite all the political rhetoric from some parties and the ongoing stalemate after the most recent election, the Ulster Unionist Party is fully committed to tackling the unacceptable waiting lists. When the Health Minister Robin Swann published a five year roadmap last year he said the establishment of new day procedure centres would be one of the issues taken forward and I’m delighted that that has now come to fruition and Omagh has been selected.

“The hospital already delivers a wide range of primary, secondary and community care services. It has 3 state of the art day procedure operating theatres and 22 recovery beds – it’s widely considered one of Northern Ireland’s surgical jewels in the crown. It currently provides day procedures for WHSCT patients across a range of specialties including general surgery, urology and ophthalmology.  It is currently funded for 23 day procedure sessions per week, yet after Robin Swann asked all Health Trusts to ensure that they are fully utilising every square inch of capacity an additional 7 sessions a week are now going to be funded and delivered.

“These additional lists are especially going to focus on urology and general surgery – two specialities with some of the longest waits across Northern Ireland. According to the Minister this means an extra 1,750 patients across these specialities will be treated per year when fully implemented.  These will include many red flag cancer and other time critical cases. In addition, 10 regional endoscopy sessions at Omagh Hospital will see an extra 3,000 patients.

“This is a real display of confidence in the hospital and all the staff that work within it. Becoming only the second such centre in Northern Ireland, after the first was announced in the Lagan Valley Hospital in 2020, I’m thrilled that Omagh Hospital will now be taking on an even greater role in the overall delivery of health care here.”