TWO members of the local cardiac support group met with Health Minister Bairbre de Brin to present a petition asking for better services for cardiac patients.

Mr. Phil Newton, Chair of the Western Cardiac Support Forum (right), who had two heart attacks and a stroke at the age of 36, and Mrs. Pam Gunn, from the Fermanagh Cardiac Support group, and wife of a transplant patient, were part of a delegation from NI Chest, Heart and Stroke association at the meeting.

“We talked about funding which was more important than anything else. Funding makes everything fall into place. [The Minister] told us that she only gets a block set amount of money, and five-sixths of the money which is allocated goes to wages and drugs,” Mr. Newton said.

“It seems to be that money was being siphoned off our allowance to meet the needs of cardiac patients from Northern Ireland to Scotland and other places to get their procedures done.”

As for the tenor of the meeting, he said: “It was very positive. She clearly has her finger on the pulse and a broad knowledge of what is happening within the NHS, especially on the subject of coronary heart disease.

“But unfortunately one of the aspects is that she has picked up the lame duck of all the services which is health, and it does require a lot of finance and funding to bring it up to any type of level which would meet the health service across the water.”