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Fermanagh woman 'abandoned' by health service | Fermanagh woman 'abandoned' by health service |
(35 minutes later) | |
The family of a Fermanagh pensioner who has been waiting seven months for surgery on her broken arm have said they feel abandoned by the health service. | |
They said she is in constant pain since the fracture in October - she was told at the time she needed a plate fitted. | |
Her son said his mother felt let down by a system she had once believed in. | |
The Western Health and Social Care Trust said it intended to reduce waiting times by renovating wards. | |
The woman's son said the family, who did not want to be identified, was appealing to the health minister for help. | |
"You can see the physical affects in her stature, due to loss of muscle and stuff on one side of her body," he said. | "You can see the physical affects in her stature, due to loss of muscle and stuff on one side of her body," he said. |
"Emotionally, she feels let down by a system that she would have had great faith in. | "Emotionally, she feels let down by a system that she would have had great faith in. |
"She couldn't have foreseen that anybody could ever have been treated like this." | "She couldn't have foreseen that anybody could ever have been treated like this." |
'Reduce waiting time' | 'Reduce waiting time' |
The Western Health and Social Care Trust said it could not comment on individual patients or their treatment for confidentiality reasons. | The Western Health and Social Care Trust said it could not comment on individual patients or their treatment for confidentiality reasons. |
It said, however, the trust was working with the Health and Social Care Board, and was "doing all that it can to reduce the waiting time for planned orthopaedic surgery". | It said, however, the trust was working with the Health and Social Care Board, and was "doing all that it can to reduce the waiting time for planned orthopaedic surgery". |
"It is important to recognise that the demand for planned orthopaedic surgery across the whole of Northern Ireland is greater than the existing capacity to provide the service," the trust said. | "It is important to recognise that the demand for planned orthopaedic surgery across the whole of Northern Ireland is greater than the existing capacity to provide the service," the trust said. |
"The service in the west was further affected by the fire incident at Altnagelvin Hospital in November 2012." | "The service in the west was further affected by the fire incident at Altnagelvin Hospital in November 2012." |
The trust said bed capacity had been reduced by 50% following the fire incident, from 24 beds to 14, but the trust intended to increase bed numbers by renovating existing wards. | The trust said bed capacity had been reduced by 50% following the fire incident, from 24 beds to 14, but the trust intended to increase bed numbers by renovating existing wards. |