General surgery move will only be ‘a sticking plaster’


WHILE local community campaign group Save Our Acute Services has cautiously welcomed comments from the Department of Health that elective surgeons could intervene in emergency situations at the SWAH in future, it has warned this will only be “a sticking plaster” to the current crisis. Cllr Donal O’Cofaigh from SOAS said Western Trust chief executive […]

Glimmer of hope in surgery campaign


THERE is a small glimmer of hope that the local community campaign to save emergency general surgery at the South West Acute Hospital is having an impact, on the back of new comments from the Department of Health to the Herald. Essentially, the Department has now confirmed to the ‘Herald that when the planned Elective […]

Research shows local impact of SWAH cuts


THE Save Our Acute Surgery (SOAS) group has launched the first in a series of research papers outlining the impact the suspension of emergency general surgery at the SWAH will have on the local population. This research highlights in stark detail the extra journey times patients requiring emergency surgery from the county now face. It also […]

GP hits out at system stopping doctors coming home


WITH local GP services at breaking point, a local doctor has hit out at the systemic restrictions putting GPs off coming home to practise. In recent years the situation with GP cover in rural parts of the county has become increasingly precarious, with doctors retiring and resigning but no doctors available to replace them. However, there […]


A number of services will be impacted by the four-hour strike on Monday.