The meeting, which is part of a major high-level review of imaging services across the North, takes place at the Townhall in Enniskillen tomorrow evening, Thursday, December 14.

The meeting will give people here the opportunity to put forward their views and ask questions about the current review, which is aimed at improving imaging services, such as x-rays and scans, across the system as a whole. 

The Department of Health has insisted there is no threat to any imaging services at SWAH as part of the review. They told the Herald they had “no plans at present to change the role of the South West Acute Hospital as an acute hospital within the HSC network and as such the provision of the necessary imaging services to deliver acute services would not be affected by the proposals under public consultation.”

In the documents released by the Department as part of the consultation, however, proposals for the creation of “regional hubs” have caused concern locally. 

“Put simply, there is a recognition that not every service can be maintained in every current acute site on a 24-hour basis,” one document stated. 

Originally, the Department had organised just one public consultation meeting, in Craigavon, but organised several more, including tomorrow evening’s event in Enniskillen, following what they said was a high level of interest in the review. 

At tomorrow’s meeting a small team of senior policy officials from the Department, along with some senior clinicians, will make up the panel. 

The meeting starts at 7pm and people are being asked to be there for 6.45pm.