Members of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council are continuing to press for action having largely rejected a response from the Department for Health around the closure of Rosslea GP surgery in 2017.

The council had written to Minister for Health Robin Swann MLA requesting a copy of the business case recommending closure and sought a review into Maple Group Practice capacity to provide appropriate healthcare for its current patients

The Minister said service provision: “Is changing in that many GPs no longer want to work single-handed on their own with no peer support. This shift is reflected in the circumstances which arose in Roslea.”

He continued, when the previous GP terminated his contact the service contact was widely advertised but no suitable candidate applied, leading to looking for other solutions locally. Other neighbouring GPs also resigned after which Maple Group Practice (Lisnaskea) took on Roslea and Newtownbutler patients.

This meant a business case for closure was not required as services continued to be provided to all patients.

In relation to Maple Group capacity, the Minister said: “All GP Practices are facing challenges to ensure high quality services to patients. To meet these by the shortage of GP’s Maple Healthcare has employed additional clinical staff (a Mental Health Practitioner, Advanced Clinical Practitioner, and physiotherapist) to ensure services continue to be provided to all patients.”

He concluded, Strategic Planning and Performance Group (SPPG) recently met with GP Practices to discuss current, continuing challenges, however: “Maple Healthcare did not raise any significant issues regarding capacity to provide services.”

Councillor Donal O’Cofaigh, CCLA described the response as “frankly shocking” and proposed writing back to the Minister challenging the content.

“This is a very serious issue,” he said. “The entire community around  the Rosslea area has been left without a GP Service from the failure to address a gap in provision. There’s private sector failure and a responsibility upon the Department to step up and provide services which are locally accessible. Its seems the Department are washing their hands off their responsibilities. It’s simply not good enough to claim there’s nothing can be done about it. Clearly there is as services were saved in rural Tyrone and we need to see the same in rural Fermanagh.”

He added contrary to what the correspondence indicated, Maple Healthcare have been raising significant concerns around capacity.

Councillor Victor Warrington, Ulster Unionist remarked: “We’re rehashing what’s already been spoken about numerous, numerous times. I respectfully point out at the time of the Rosslea GP situation I was very involved on the ground. We looked at every option possible. We spoke to any statutory bodies we thought could help. At that time the Department felt that Lisnaskea surgery was able to cope with the numbers they would get from Rosslea. I would be the first to say it’s not an ideal situation but there was not a possibility at that time of getting a GP. Yes there is action needed but there’s no point in sending letters to and from. This has been investigated. GPs are not on the ground.”

Independent Councillor Eamon Keenan disputed this stating, “Obviously it hasn’t been investigated. It looks like the Department are now trying to pass the blame to the Maple Group. So who is responsible for the health and wellbeing of our community? Is it a private company or is it – as it’s supposed to be – the statutory body.”

Seconding Councillor O’Cofaigh’s proposal, he also referred to the letter assertING Maple Group did not raise specific concerns during a meeting adding: “This is a massive issue. The SSPG (Strategic Planning and Performance Group) need to speak to people on the ground. We shouldn’t forget about this. We need to push forward. It was a complete failure in 2017 and it’s only going to get worse.”

Sinn Fein’s Councillor Sheamus Greene said: “It’s very disappointing. The statement in 2017 spoke of Maple recruiting additional GPs. That didn’t work out too well. There were eight and it’s down to four now.”

Party colleague Councillor Thomas O’Reilly acknowledged the scarcity of GPs, but stressed: “This didn’t sneak up on us. It was a very real possibility for years but investment wasn’t put in to train GPs and have enough on the ground. Maple Practice taking over put a lot of stress on the doctors and some left. We are struggling. It’s not acceptable that people in a really rural area are being disenfranchised and treated as second class citizens.”