SOAS has welcomed the intervention of Health Minister Mike Nesbitt urging Western Trust to ‘reconsider’ SWAH consultation.
As revealed by the ‘Herald yesterday the Western Trust has announced a reset of the public consultation; https://fermanaghherald.com/2025/07/trust-announces-reset-of-swah-consultation/
The Western Trust said that, after “listening to public opinion” it is now “in the process of resetting” its approach to the consultation on the permanent removal of emergency general surgery (EGS) from the South West Acute Hospital.
Save Our Acute Services (SOAS) has welcomed the intervention of Health Minister Mike Nesbitt who has urged the Western Health and Social Care Trust (WHSCT) to ‘pause’ and ‘reconsider’ their
consultation process on the permanent withdrawal of emergency surgery from South West Acute Hospital.
SOAS spokesperson Donal O’Cofaigh said: “This is a welcome intervention by the Minister and will provide significant assurance to the community. This consultation should never have proceeded in the first place. SOAS highlighted a range of concerns about the process and made the Patient Client Council aware of these.
“The Western Trust must now bring this consultation to an end and instead commence work on an alternative, ambitious vision plan for the hospital. SOAS has set out an evidence-based roadmap which we believe offers a pathway for the long-term sustainability of all acute services in SWAH as a rural hospital – including the provision of emergency general surgery. This roadmap will deliver on the hospital’s huge and largely untapped potential for improving health outcomes locally, regionally and cross-border.”
Sinn Féin MP, Pat Cullen has said she will continue to work to ensure everyone has access to high quality, safe, and effective clinical care.
The Fermanagh and South Tyrone MP was commenting after the Health Minister ordered the Western Trust to halt the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH) consultation:
“It comes as no real surprise that the Health Minister has ordered the Western Trust to halt the SWAH consultation.
“When it was decided that a consultation would be held on the closure of emergency general surgery at the SWAH, we called for a comprehensive process across all communities affected, instead only two events were scheduled.
“The public were left feeling that their concerns and experiences were not being listened to. The onus is now on the Western Trust to rebuild public confidence and listen to them.
“They also need to produce a plan for SWAH which outlines how it will be supported to meet the needs of the community and the future population.
“I and Sinn Féin will continue to work to ensure everyone has access to high quality, safe, and effective clinical care.”