The Western Trust has issued a statement this evening responding to the roadmap for the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH) that was published by Fermanagh campaign group Save Our Acute Services (SOAS).
That roadmap, which has been widely backed by the local community and political representatives, sets out a plan for the restoration of emergency general surgery (EGS) at the Enniskillen hospital.
In its lengthy statement, published in full below, the Trust acknowledged the strong community concern and agreed with many recommendations while noting some cannot proceed due to clinical safety standards or wider decision-making requirements.
The Trust reaffirmed its commitment to patient safety, highlighted what it said was improved outcomes since EGS was suspended in late 2022, and pledged ongoing engagement with the community to develop sustainable local health services.
The Trust has also issued an update on the current status of EGS at the SWAH.
It once again stated the 2022 suspension of the EGS service was a public safety measure due to consultant shortages and new Department of Health safety standards.
It claimed data had shown improved patient outcomes, with more patients treated safely through ambulatory pathways, and said it was committed to ongoing collaboration to deliver safe and sustainable services.
The statement in full:
The Trust respects the work undertaken by SOAS in producing the Roadmap and appreciate the significant time and effort which the hospital campaign pressure group have taken to put forward its 20 recommendations.
We recognise the deep interest and concern within the community about the future of health and care services in Fermanagh and West Tyrone. We hope to work alongside local people through the networks and representatives they know and are familiar with to shape a vision for safe and sustainable health and care services into the future.
SOAS have put forward 20 proposed recommendations. We agree with some of these, as they align closely with work that we already have underway in the Trust, and with the Department of Health, or we have made clear are our strategic direction of travel.
Others will require decisions or leadership at regional, national or cross-border level if they are to move forward. We must be clear that a small number of recommendations cannot be supported, because they do not meet the Department of Health’s clinical standards for safe care of surgical patients or commissioning requirements.
Our initial position on the Roadmap recommendations is set out in [a] summary brief, and we welcome dialogue with the SOAS group and all stakeholders as our work progresses.
Commenting, Western Trust Chief Executive Neil Guckian said: “I want to acknowledge the strength of feeling in Fermanagh and West Tyrone about local health services and to thank everyone who has engaged with the SOAS Roadmap. We recognise how important South West Acute Hospital is to the community it serves.
“Patient safety must always be our first priority. The independent clinical evidence we have shows that outcomes have improved since the temporary service change in 2022, with fewer complications, readmissions and deaths. This matters because it means safer care for patients.
“Many of the Roadmap’s recommendations reflect work we are already taking forward, and we share the ambition to continue building strong, sustainable services locally. Where recommendations cannot be progressed, it is because they do not currently meet clinical safety standards or require decisions that sit outside the Trust’s control.
“We remain absolutely committed to SWAH as a vital acute hospital and to continuing open, honest and respectful engagement with the community as we develop a long-term vision for health and social care in Fermanagh and West Tyrone.”
Update on Emergency General Surgery:
In addition, the Trust is providing a detailed update highlighting our current position in respect of Emergency General Surgery within the Trust area, since the temporary suspension of Emergency General Surgery at SWAH was implemented in December 2022.
This change was an ‘Emergency Measure’ and a matter of ‘Public Safety’ due to significant and ongoing difficulties in recruiting and retaining the required consultant workforce, which meant that there were NO substantive Consultant General Surgeons available to work on the emergency rota at the hospital. This position was further influenced by the introduction of revised Emergency General Surgery Safety Standards by the Department of Health in June 2022.
The Trust is now fully compliant with the revised Emergency General Surgery standards introduced in June 2022. These standards were designed to ensure that patients across Northern Ireland receive safe, specialist emergency surgical care, regardless of where they live.
Compliance has required significant transformation of the Trust’s consultant workforce and the establishment of a 24/7 upper gastrointestinal bleeding pathway.
Independent clinical data shows that patient outcomes have improved since the temporary service change in 2022, based on that analysis by Caspe Healthcare Knowledge Systems (CHKS), which benchmarks all Trusts in Northern Ireland. These improvements indicate safer care and improved recovery outcomes for patients across the Western Trust area.
In addition, a significant number of patients are now safely treated each year through ambulatory pathways at SWAH and Altnagelvin. Over 5 patients per day presenting at SWAH receive same-day or next-day assessment and treatment, and 2.5 patients per day are transferred for inpatient care and treatment to Altnagelvin Hospital.
“These improvements mean that patients across the Western Trust, wherever they live, now have a better chance of survival and better recovery outcomes,”
Mr Neil Guckian, Chief Executive.
The Trust will continue to work closely with staff, patients, communities, elected representatives and partner organisations to ensure that future services are safe, sustainable and responsive to local needs.
Full Statements and additional information is available on the Trust Website.
