Council Chair hosts reception for Trainee Doctors in the Western Trust area

Recently the Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, Councillor Thomas O’Reilly, hosted a reception for trainee Doctors who have started working in the Western Health and Social Care Trust.

The following is a copy of the Chair’s speech which was delivered at the reception:

Good evening, Councillors, ladies and gentlemen

As Chair of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, I am delighted to welcome you all here to the Townhall in Enniskillen this evening for this reception to welcome our new trainee Doctors to the Western Health and Social Care Trust and particularly to the Fermanagh and Omagh District.

We are fortunate to have two state of the art hospitals in the Fermanagh and Omagh District Council area with the South West Acute Hospital in Enniskillen and the Omagh Hospital and Primary Care Complex.

I understand that we have a mix of new Doctors with us including Foundation Trainees Year 1 and Year 2, Core Trainees, Specialist Trainees and GP Trainees.

As Foundation Trainees Year 1 you have completed 5 years of medicine training and will now be completing a 2 year foundation training programme with one year in the South West Acute Hospital rotating between the medical and surgical departments.

For those of you who are in your second year of your Foundation Training programme, you will be rotating every 4 months between the medical and Care of the Elderly wards in the South West Acute Hospital, Psychiatry in the Tyrone and Fermanagh Hospital, GPs in the Western Trust area and other Specialities in Altnagelvin Hospital.

As a Core, Specialist or GP Trainee, you are commencing a 6 month rotation between A&E, Medicine, Surgical, Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Psychiatry.

I commend the Western Health and Social Care Trust and the Northern Ireland Medical and Dental Training Agency for providing you with the opportunity to gain such a broad experience in a range of departments.  I have no doubt that it will be a very busy environment but that you will be ready to deal with any situation and you will receive great support from the Medical Staff, the members of each team and the staff in MedEdWest.

As well as enhancing your own hands on experience, you will also be extremely valuable members of the existing Teams in the Hospitals and you will have the opportunity to share your knowledge with the Queens University Belfast, Royal College of Surgeons Ireland and Ulster University students.

The Council has an established working relationship with the Western Health and Social Care Trust through the Health and Social Care Services Sub Committee.  This provides an opportunity for the Senior Management Team of the Western Trust and Councillors to discuss and seek to advance important health and social care related matters which impact on our residents.

As Doctors, you will undoubtedly be working long hours, however, it is important for you to take some much needed down time to relax.  The Fermanagh and Omagh District has so much to offer in terms of a vibrant hospitality sector, strong retail presence with a number of unique independent shops and activities such as water sports, our two Arts Centres with performances and workshops and our four Leisure Centres.

For those of you who prefer the outdoors, there are a great number of parks and walks for you to explore and enjoy including Cuilcagh Lakelands UNESCO Global Geopark, Gortin Glen Forest Park, Lough Navar, Killyfole Lough, Castle Archdale Country Park and Ecclesville Forest.

There are also a number of attractions including the Marble Arch Caves which is now open all year round, Enniskillen Castle, three National Trust properties and the Ulster American Folk Park.

Fermanagh and Omagh District Council is committed to ensuring that our people are healthy and well physically, mentally and emotionally and to make our District a welcoming, shared and inclusive place to live, visit and work in.

I am delighted that you have chosen the Western Trust area to be your place of work and I am confident that you will be a valuable addition to the workforce in our hospitals.  Working on the front line in medical care is not always an easy role, however, I know you will have many enjoyable hours and you will be ready to face any challenge that may come your way.  I commend you for always giving the utmost care and attention and for putting your patients first.

In return, I am confident that you will be made to feel welcome in our District and you will quickly become a local.  The Fermanagh and Omagh District has so much to offer and I hope that you will consider choosing to work in one of our hospitals and become a long term resident.

On behalf of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, and on my own behalf, I would like to welcome you to the Fermanagh and Omagh District and thank you for your ongoing commitment and dedication to the National Health Service to ensure that our people are healthy and well.

Thank you.