THE Sperrin Lakeland Trust, which has experienced a turbulent time over the last few years, held their final Trust Board meeting in Enniskillen on Thursday.
The Board, which has seen no fewer than four chief executives, and two chairmen in the last two years, has become used to dealing with large crowds of protesters at their monthly meeting. This has been particularly since passing controversial decisions, such as to site the new acute hospital in Enniskillen, a decision that has attracted strong criticism from supporters for the Omagh Hospital Campaign.
From 1st April this year, the Sperrin Lakeland Trust, under the Review of Public Administration, will become part of the Western Health Board, which covers Fermanagh, Tyrone and Derry.
Last Thursday's meeting marked the end of the organisation, which was established in April 1996. Over recent years, members of the Omagh Hospital Group have regularly attended Trust Board meetings and have frequently been vocal in making their opinions heard.
And, so, on Thursday last, Campaign members paid their final visit to appeal to the members to repeal their decision on the siting of the acute hospital before the Trust is disbanded. The appeal came as campaigners brought a piper to play a last lament to the Trust, and, for good measure, a number of people also sang 'Fare Thee Well Enniskillen'.
David McKee, on behalf of Omagh Campaigners, urged the Trust members: "Take the decision before you go. Demand the Minster to reconsider the siting of the acute hospital. Make your legacy one of meaning, and ask what is right for the people of this area."
But, Enniskillen's Phil Newton, a member of the Service Users' Group, called on the new Trust to give an assurance that the acute hospital would continue to be built in Enniskillen.
"I am very worried that the new Chief Executive of the Western Trust will have an agenda to water down the Developing Better Services (DBS) plan. I call for her to write an open letter in the media, stating that she and her new directors are committed to implementing DBS to the letter, with no water down of the services."
The meeting continued with Trust Board members intent in getting on with the day to day business of running the service. Indeed, there were little signs that the Trust, as an entity, would cease to exist in a matter of weeks.
In her final address, the Chairwoman, Gillian Shaw, paid tribute to staff across Tyrone and Fermanagh who, she said, often had to work against a turbulent background and major upheaval.
"One in 26 of the population here work for the Sperrin Lakeland Trust, and with their extended family, you can see the number of lives that are affected by the issues we regularly address through this Trust Board meeting. We have seen some very turbulent times, but through that, staff have continued to provide a high standard of care, and we now have systems in place to protect staff."
As the Western Health Board is established, Mrs Shaw explained: "The future is an unknown quantity, and staff do face some uncertainty, but I want to congratulate them on all their achievements against a background of upheaval."
Mrs Shaw also acknowledged the supporters from the Omagh Hospital Campaign at the meeting. She told them: "You have fought for the best service for Tyrone and Fermanagh and you will continue to do so. I admire your tenacity and your spirit, and I wish you well."
