A LOCAL councillor has expressed his disappointment that patients of a health centre will not be able to attend a meeting that will discuss some of the issues it faces.

Maple Healthcare Centre in Lisnaskea has been plagued with issues such as the length of time people have to wait on the phone to be answered, the long wait for callbacks, and the difficulty in getting to see a doctor.

It was confirmed in June that the surgery would meet with local representatives alongside representatives from the Health and Social Care Board, and the British Medical Association, to put the issues faced into context.

Due to the ongoing issues, there were two community meetings held where patients aired their views on the current healthcare centre.

In a previous article in this paper, one patient said the centre needed to be “overhauled”.

Independent Councillor Eamon Keenan has been contacted numerous times by constituents about Maple Healthcare.

He said: “As many local people will know, there has been a range of issues experienced with the Maple Group Practice over the past number of years.

“In recent months local people have set up a Community Health Committee and have had two very well attended public meetings via Zoom [online meetings].

“The committee had requested a meeting with Maple and that a few of its representatives, who are patients, would be allowed to attend any meeting with Maple if it ever happened.

“I can now confirm that Maple has agreed to a meeting, but has excluded any members of the public. They have arranged a meeting for Wednesday, August 25 at 5pm via Zoom, and only councillors and MLAs will be allowed to attend.”

Councillor Keenan was disappointed with this decision, adding: “I think it is very undemocratic to exclude what would have been a small number of patients who have courageously come forward to express their very valid and real concerns.

“The Community Health Committee will not be deterred by this and will be distributing leaflets this week with the requests that have been brought forward to the committee by the public to bring to Maple for consideration.”

The leaflet in question will call on improvements to the health care centre, including that phones be answered promptly, an adequate mental health plan be devised and published, as well as the setting up of satellite clinics in Rosslea two to three days a week.

In response to a query raised as to why the public were not invited to the meeting, a spokesperson for Maple Healthcare said: "This meeting is a briefing for local politicians, our patients have been written to separately. If patients have concerns, we would advise them to raise directly with the practice or alternatively they can ask their political representative to raise at the meeting next week."