THE CAMPAIGN for a ‘new SWAH’ has hit the ground running in Fermanagh this past week, with tens of thousands across the county signing up for the plan in just a handful of days.
The Save Our Acute Services group launched its new vision for the SWAH at Fermanagh House last Thursday, which included a five-point plan to save and protect services at the Enniskillen hospital, not least emergency general surgery.
As part of the campaign, the group has mass produced a letter outlining this plan, which it is asking the local community to sign.
The group had initially printed 10,000 of these letters last week, and volunteers were on hand during Friday’s St Patrick’s Day celebrations and in local shops to gather signatures over the weekend.
Such has been the strength of response, on Monday the group had to start printing 10,000 more, and it is likely even more will be needed in the weeks to come.
Local business, churches, sports clubs, schools and community organisations have also been printing their own copies for locals to sign. Last week Fr Brian D’Arcy used his homily during Sunday Mass at the Graan to encourage people to sign.
The letters are to be presented to the Department of Health – to show community’s backing for the new vision for the hospital – and a spokeswoman for SOAS has said at this stage wheelbarrows, or even tractors, will be need to physically transport them.
“We are overwhelmed by the need and hunger of the local population for this campaign,” they said.
Opening with a quote from former SWAH and Erne Hospital consultant surgeon Essam Ghareeb – “The most important step is to state that acute services are going to be in SWAH and are there to stay” – the letter outlines an alternative proposal to the removal of emergency general surgery from the hospital.
The Western Trust has stated staffing shortages are behind what it said is the temporary suspension of the service, but it has also stated it will be very difficult to restore it. Chief executive Neil Guckian has said the Trust welcomed ideas from the public on possible solutions to the crisis.
The five-point plan by SOAS provides such suggestions.
Outlined in the community letter, it begins by calling for the creation of a new NHS Trust in the local area, with its own management team. It states this new Trust would “not only secure better care for our community but will also be a driver of job growth and career opportunities in the region.”
The plan calls for the restoration of urgent and emergency surgery at the SWAH, calling on the Department of Health to assist with SWAH rotas.
It calls for new initiatives to ensure a settled workforce, where all staff are respected and valued. At the launch last week, SOAS noted the number of staff leaving Altnagelvin since 2019 was 15 percent, while at SWAH the rate was almost three times higher at 40 percent.
The plan also calls for new surgical specialties to be introduced at the SWAH, with an emphasis on key areas. Again at the launch last week, SOAS noted it warmly welcomed the development of an NHS-staffed overnight elective centre at the SWAH, which it believes would compliment the delivery of sustainable emergency care.
Finally the five point plan concludes with calling for all five theatres at the SWAH – which are not all used – to be relaunched for both emergency and elective care, including for patients south of the border.
The letter asks the Department to consider it as a response to Western Trust consultation on the future of emergency general surgery at the SWAH.
Indeed, the overwhelming response to its points is in stark contrast to the lack lustre response to the Trust’s own consultation paper, which SOAS and local councillors have widely criticised. Local issues raised over the consultation process have included complaints it has been inaccessible, and that it includes “leading” questions.
The public is reminded it can submit its own response to the consultation, which closes on April 10th, and are not required to answer the Trust’s specific questions.
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