Local business leaders have said a roundtable on the provision of rural healthcare services should be immediately commissioned by the Department of Health.
With highly pressured winter months only weeks away, business sector in Fermanagh including SMEs to global companies, from manufacturing to hospitality, are calling on the Health Minister to launch a deep dive process into the provision of health services in the Western Trust.
The call has been made by the business leaders in light of the recent consultation to remove emergency general surgery from SWAH permanently.
These 40 businesses employ 1000s of people and generate millions for the economy.
The business leaders said: “The Western Trust is proposing a permanent hospital service change based on the premise that the current arrangements are suitable and coping well but they are not.
“Reform cannot and should be happen by unplanned collapse of services. Local people tell us that current transfer arrangements to Altnagelvin, itself under immense pressure, are fundamentally failing.
“If we are serious about regional balance and economic growth, Fermanagh needs a strong health service. Regional balance requires supporting equitable approaches towards public resources and infrastructure. We are asking the Minister to ‘think again’ about his department’s approach in Fermanagh and to hold a roundtable with all invested stakeholders.”
The business leaders raised the alarm on the quality of healthcare provision in the region earlier this summer. 30 businesses who employ thousands of people and generated millions to the NI economy signed the letter of concern.
“We firmly believe the Department of Health needs to demonstrate its understanding of the “distinctive health and care needs of rural areas” of Fermanagh and deliver “services that are suited to the specific needs of rural places”. We are worried. The community is worried. Engage with people. Talk to them. They have the answers.
“We value the support of our elected representatives throughout this journey. We need conversations about what the future of SWAH looks like. We need decision-makers, the public, and specialists to work together on how the needs of rural communities are met.
“This isn’t something that can be fixed overnight. We understand that the workforce is critical to any return of service; however, with a deep and renewed focus, we can help system leaders see that SWAH has a bright future that matches the needs of the population it serves and the addresses the rurality of the place we call home.”