AWARD FOR OMAGH DOCTOR
Award for Omagh doctor who helped bomb victims overcome trauma
By JACQUELINE COURTNEY
A LOCAL doctor, described as one in a million, has received a top UK award in recognition of his gratifying work in helping patients overcome depression in the aftermath of the Omagh bomb.
Based at Omagh Health Centre since 1979, Dr William (Bill) McCallion, a senior partner in one of the Centre's four busy practises, was presented with the National Lundbeck Award for Good Practise in Depression from the Charity Depression Alliance.
It is the first time that such a prestigious national award has come to Omagh.
Dr McCallion was announced the overall winner for the United Kingdom for Good Practise in Depression 2000 at a glittering ceremony held at Lanesborough Hotel, London on Tuesday afternoon.
News of Dr McCallion's award was learnt with a great sense of pride in the locality but no prouder were his colleagues at the Centre.
The family doctor who has become more than a GP to thousands of his patients -rather a close friend and confidant - is highly respected in the area.
His practise one of the busiest in Omagh has 9,600 patients on the books.
One of his colleagues, Dr Paul Bradley, who works in the award winning doctor's practise, said he was delighted at the news.
He commented it was a great honour for Dr McCallion and in general for GPs in Omagh to have his work recognised in this way.
"The mental trauma in the wake of the bomb has been immense," revealed Dr Bradley.
He said he was delighted that his colleague was going to use the �8,000 prize-money, which went with the Award, to improve mental health services in the area.
"Two years after the bomb there are still a great many people suffering mental scars which could take years, if not a life time to heal," he said.
"The suffering and recovery is still ongoing and will continue, through the help of the professionals, for many years to come," he said.
The Practise Manager, Patricia Quinn was also delighted with Dr McCallion's national achievement.
"He is a wonderful doctor who cares very much about his patients. I am personally delighted that his work has been recognised in this way," she said.
Dr McCallion was nominated by one of his patients, Patricia McRory, who was diagnosed with depression in 1998 after witnessing the Omagh bombing. She described him as a doctor in a million. She was present at the award presentation ceremony.
Patricia suffered shoulder, back and ankle injuries in the bomb but refused to go to hospital.
Two days later she turned up at Dr McCallion's surgery and he realised that the mother of two was one of hundreds suffering from post traumatic stress disorder.
She said: "What I went through, the whole community went through and Dr McCallion didn't just help me he and his colleagues helped so many other people in the town put behind them, not just the nightmare of that day, but also the flashbacks and memories which are so difficult to forget."
And she continued "We are a small community here, everyone knows someone who was there on the day. It is through GPs like Dr McCallion, who work so hard and never expect thanks, that our community is beginning to recover."
"He is one in a million," she added.
Dr McCallion, said he was delighted to have been nominated, and revealed he planned to use the �8,000 prize money to help community groups with mental health projects.
He said: "My work is just one small part of that undertaken by all my medical colleagues in Omagh as we have tried to help the community find its way from that terrible day. The nature of depression in these traumatic circumstances is such that it can strike at any time, sometimes months afterwards."
He spoke about some patients feeling guilty at surviving at being alive.
"These problems have not been faced by a small community anywhere else in the UK. The Lundbeck Award will give hope to the whole community. I hope to invest the money in mental health projects that will benefit the whole town," he concluded.
An independent judging panel, using strict criteria went through the difficult task of selecting the national winners for England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales as well as an overall UK winner.
The panel included Claire Rayner, leading academics Professor Andre Tylee and Professor Malcolm Lader as well as representatives from Depression Alliance.
"It is an honour for us to be able to award Dr McCallion. The patients in his surgery are lucky to have him" said Anthony Tiernan from Depression Alliance.
Members of the Rush, Taylor and Simpson hospital campaign group have extended their congratulations to Dr. McCallion on the winning of the Lambard award for Good Practice in Depression 2000. "The fact that he is donating �8,000 to mental support groups comes no surprise to those who know him well", said a spokesman for the group.
By JACQUELINE COURTNEY
A LOCAL doctor, described as one in a million, has received a top UK award in recognition of his gratifying work in helping patients overcome depression in the aftermath of the Omagh bomb.
Based at Omagh Health Centre since 1979, Dr William (Bill) McCallion, a senior partner in one of the Centre's four busy practises, was presented with the National Lundbeck Award for Good Practise in Depression from the Charity Depression Alliance.
It is the first time that such a prestigious national award has come to Omagh.
Dr McCallion was announced the overall winner for the United Kingdom for Good Practise in Depression 2000 at a glittering ceremony held at Lanesborough Hotel, London on Tuesday afternoon.
News of Dr McCallion's award was learnt with a great sense of pride in the locality but no prouder were his colleagues at the Centre.
The family doctor who has become more than a GP to thousands of his patients -rather a close friend and confidant - is highly respected in the area.
His practise one of the busiest in Omagh has 9,600 patients on the books.
One of his colleagues, Dr Paul Bradley, who works in the award winning doctor's practise, said he was delighted at the news.
He commented it was a great honour for Dr McCallion and in general for GPs in Omagh to have his work recognised in this way.
"The mental trauma in the wake of the bomb has been immense," revealed Dr Bradley.
He said he was delighted that his colleague was going to use the �8,000 prize-money, which went with the Award, to improve mental health services in the area.
"Two years after the bomb there are still a great many people suffering mental scars which could take years, if not a life time to heal," he said.
"The suffering and recovery is still ongoing and will continue, through the help of the professionals, for many years to come," he said.
The Practise Manager, Patricia Quinn was also delighted with Dr McCallion's national achievement.
"He is a wonderful doctor who cares very much about his patients. I am personally delighted that his work has been recognised in this way," she said.
Dr McCallion was nominated by one of his patients, Patricia McRory, who was diagnosed with depression in 1998 after witnessing the Omagh bombing. She described him as a doctor in a million. She was present at the award presentation ceremony.
Patricia suffered shoulder, back and ankle injuries in the bomb but refused to go to hospital.
Two days later she turned up at Dr McCallion's surgery and he realised that the mother of two was one of hundreds suffering from post traumatic stress disorder.
She said: "What I went through, the whole community went through and Dr McCallion didn't just help me he and his colleagues helped so many other people in the town put behind them, not just the nightmare of that day, but also the flashbacks and memories which are so difficult to forget."
And she continued "We are a small community here, everyone knows someone who was there on the day. It is through GPs like Dr McCallion, who work so hard and never expect thanks, that our community is beginning to recover."
"He is one in a million," she added.
Dr McCallion, said he was delighted to have been nominated, and revealed he planned to use the �8,000 prize money to help community groups with mental health projects.
He said: "My work is just one small part of that undertaken by all my medical colleagues in Omagh as we have tried to help the community find its way from that terrible day. The nature of depression in these traumatic circumstances is such that it can strike at any time, sometimes months afterwards."
He spoke about some patients feeling guilty at surviving at being alive.
"These problems have not been faced by a small community anywhere else in the UK. The Lundbeck Award will give hope to the whole community. I hope to invest the money in mental health projects that will benefit the whole town," he concluded.
An independent judging panel, using strict criteria went through the difficult task of selecting the national winners for England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales as well as an overall UK winner.
The panel included Claire Rayner, leading academics Professor Andre Tylee and Professor Malcolm Lader as well as representatives from Depression Alliance.
"It is an honour for us to be able to award Dr McCallion. The patients in his surgery are lucky to have him" said Anthony Tiernan from Depression Alliance.
Members of the Rush, Taylor and Simpson hospital campaign group have extended their congratulations to Dr. McCallion on the winning of the Lambard award for Good Practice in Depression 2000. "The fact that he is donating �8,000 to mental support groups comes no surprise to those who know him well", said a spokesman for the group.
Further Information
Publisher: ULSTER HERALD
Ref: UH/1512
Published Date: 26-Oct-00
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