Disbelief at plans to axe hospital's A&E service

The hospital where survivors of the Omagh bomb outrage were treated could lose its accident and emergency services as part of proposed major changes to health care in Northern Ireland, it emerged today.

The A&E department at Tyrone County Hospital and four other hospitals would be axed, according to a report which recommends a massive overhaul of the health service over the next 10 years, costing an estimated £1bn.

Corridors and wards at the Tyrone Co were covered in blood as medical staff fought desperately to treat victims of the August 1998 bombing which claimed 29 lives.

Victims’ relatives said they were stunned by the proposal.

Michael Gallagher, whose son Aidan was among the dead, said: ‘‘It’s unbelievable. It’s unbelievable.

‘‘After what happened, it’s unthinkable something like this could happen. Omagh doesn’t need heart or brain surgeons, but an accident and emergency department is the most important of any hospital followed by maternity.’’

The hospital has already lost its maternity services.

Today’s report following a major review headed by the former Northern Ireland Ombudsman Maurice Hayes, which has proposed a new hospital be built in Enniskillen, Co Fermanagh, 26 miles from Omagh.

Northern Ireland’s four health boards should be replaced by one so-called super board, the report said.

Eighteen health trusts would be replaced by three integrated health and social care systems.

One of these would see three of Belfast’s main hospitals, including the world renowned Royal Victoria, merging.

Dr Hayes said the proposal to site a new hospital in Enniskillen instead of Omagh had been a tough one.

One of the key recommendations had been to ensure the entire population of Northern Ireland had access to vital hospital services within an hour.

Dr Hayes said: ‘‘If you put it in Omagh you cover a slightly bigger catchment, but it meant that about 16,000 people on the south side of Lough Erne would be outside the golden hour.’’

Councillors and health workers in Omagh had staged a huge campaign to keep the A&E department and today’s recommendation shocked the town.

Stanley McComb, whose wife Ann died in the explosion, said: ‘‘It is ridiculous.’’