The future of services at the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH) was brought to the floor of the Northern Ireland Assembly last week during an adjournment debate led by local MLAs.
The discussion provided a platform for representatives to voice serious concerns over the temporary suspension of emergency general surgery (EGS) at the Enniskillen-based hospital.
Sinn Féin MLA Jemma Dolan said SWAH had the potential to contribute much more to the health service than it currently does.
“For the people of Fermanagh and Tyrone, SWAH is not just a hospital – it is a lifeline. It provides essential services to families and patients who otherwise face long and difficult journeys to receive the care that others in this region take for granted. That is why the future of services at SWAH must be safeguarded, strengthened, and invested in.”
opposition
She pointed to the high quality maternity and stroke services already in place, while highlighting the opposition to the removal of emergency general surgery.
“Emergency general surgery is not an optional service; it is a vital, life-saving provision. A viable, resilient health network demands that EGS returns to SWAH,” she said.
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There has been a failure to properly engage with the people of Fermanagh and Tyrone, ignoring the urgent needs of those who rely on SWAH in emergencies, and no credible plan for service restoration.
“Support for that view is growing, with groups like the GAA, businesses and hoteliers declaring the process deeply flawed and lacking legitimacy. We will continue to hold the Trust – and the Department of Health – accountable for this process.”
Following the debate, campaign group Save Our Acute Services (SOAS) called on Health Minister Mike Nesbitt to use his authority to direct the
Western Trust to bring forward a vision plan for the hospital, including a commitment to restore EGS.
“The debate heard accounts from party representatives from across the political divide of the concerning experiences they had heard first hand from constituents as a result of the suspension of emergency surgery at SWAH,” SOAS spokesperson Donal O’Cofaigh said.
“Most importantly, representatives of Sinn Féin, the DUP and the SDLP highlighted the unfair two-hour travelling time for patients and their families to get from Fermanagh to Altnagelvin for emergency treatment.
“While we welcome the minister’s intervention and demand for the Western Trust to bring forward a vision plan for SWAH, we now need him to use his full ministerial authority and instruct the Trust to identify a pathway that will lead to the restoration of emergency surgery. Nothing less is acceptable. We need decisive political action to vindicate our community’s rights to timely access to life-saving surgery in an emergency situation.”