In a powerful display of cross-council solidarity, the two district councils covering the Western Trust area have joined forces to fight for the SWAH.
Campaign group Save Our Acute Services (SOAS) has secured formal backing from both Fermanagh and Omagh District Council (FODC) and Derry City and Strabane District Council (DCDS) in its ongoing fight to restore emergency general surgery at SWAH.
Despite Council recess, SOAS was granted a significant meeting at the Guildhall in Derry, marking a pivotal moment in the campaign to protect acute services across the Western Trust.
FODC have adopted unanimously it’s unwavering commitment to the reinstatement of emergency general surgery and their belief in the SWAH Roadmap, the ‘Rural Area Hospital’ and the SOAS campaign itself.
“We had an open and very sincere meeting at which we expressed our deep concern for both acute hospitals in the Western Trust. This was our opportunity to show that our Roadmap – and more specifically our definition of a ‘Rural Area Hospital’ – in essence offers solutions to problems,” a SOAS spokesperson said.
“It is simply not possible to create extra work in Altnagelvin without assessing capacity in the way that the Western Trust have done with all of its surgical patients. SWAH must retain and restore services lost which will in turn relieve some of the unbearable pressure on Altnagelvin.
“We now have two councils united in determination to ensure that vital services are strengthened. Access to emergency care is a right not a privilege. SOAS will work with the support of both councils. This Trust has 300,000 patients and it must care for each one. It was a very important meeting and a very successful one. Our voices matter.”
Church unity
Also standing in solidarity with the campaign are the Church of Ireland Bishop of Clogher, the Right Rev’d Dr Ian Ellis, and the Catholic Bishop of Clogher, the Most Rev’d Larry Duffy, who issued a joint statement voicing deep concern over the threatened permanent closure of emergency surgery at SWAH.
“We live in one of the most remote parts of NI and believe our communities have a right to equal treatment to other areas of the province,” the statement read.
“We support calls for a more genuine consultation, which should include community leaders and those most affected by the change, along with a response to provide effective acute health services to reflect the needs of the area.
“We believe our communities should be provided with access to appropriate and expert surgical care within easy reach of where we live.”