Businesses join forces to support SWAH services

TWENTY-NINE major Fermanagh business employers have come together to issue a joint statement welcoming the pause in the consultation on the future of emergency general surgery (EGS) at the SWAH.
The well known local companies and establishments, which together bring in millions to the economy and employ thousands locally, said the decision to pause the consultation was appropriate in light of the timing over the summer months, Stormont being in recess and lack of meaningful engagement with local people.
The joint statement said: “The time has come for decision makers at the Western Trust and Department of Health to meaningfully engage with the people of Fermanagh, hospital campaigners, elected politicians and the business community.
“The roadmap produced by Save Our Acute Services (SOAS) provides the vision that the Health Minister has requested alongside firm evidence of the need for SWAH to become a rural area hospital.
“Our staff and their families deserve healthcare they can depend on. Economic growth in Fermanagh depends on consistent, accessible services—from GP care to emergency response services, and for a long time the system has been failing. From a business perspective we require an invest to save approach not slash and burn.”
The business employers include: A1 Transport, Agrihealth Ltd, Balcas, Belleek Pottery, Belmore Court and Motel, Cadden Group, Cassidy Group, Charlies Bar, Crust and Crumb, Elite Electronic Systems Ltd, Encirc, Francos Restaurant,Greentown, GT Exhausts, Killyhevlin Lakeside Hotel and Lodges, and Lakeland Tyres.
They also include Liam Connolly Roadfreight, Loane Transport, Mannok, Modern Tyres, Monaghan Bros, Pat Blake Group, Severfield, Sign Design, TA Mercer, The Boatyard Distillery, The Print Factory, Timoney Tiles, Tracey Concrete.
‘defining moment’
The employers also said it was important that the Trust’s consultation was put on hold while results of the Department of Health’s hospital reconfiguration consultation (Towards A Hospital Network) were yet to be published.
“This is a defining moment for the 300,000 people of the Western Trust,” the statement continued.
“As employers, we have a duty of care. Our staff need access to emergency surgery close to home. The current process of transferring emergency surgical patients to Altnagelvin is deeply flawed and we know that current HSC capacity already fails to meet demand and is unable to facilitate a resilient ambulance system..”
The business leaders’ concerns reflect significant alarms already expressed about the future of SWAH by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council, trade unions, and politicians at Stormont and Westminster. In recent days more politicians have criticised the Trust’s handling of the consultation process.
The business leaders have also thrown their support behind demands that the region requires a specific rural healthcare attention and focus on quality, safety and availability.
This matches the Western Trust’s remit across a vast rural region, where one in four live in poverty.