Elaine Mitchell, a south west Reporter with BBC News NI, covered a public meeting in Fermanagh where politicians expressed their support for a campaign group’s proposals to restore services at the South West Acute Hospital (Swah). The Enniskillen hospital had temporarily suspended emergency general surgery in 2022, leading patients from Fermanagh to have to travel to Altnagelvin Hospital in Londonderry. The suspension was deemed necessary by the Western Trust to protect public safety due to difficulties in recruiting surgical staff. However, campaigners argue that this situation puts lives at risk due to the distance, travel time, and poor transport infrastructure.
Organized by the Save Our Acute Services (SOAS) campaign group, the meeting focused on a discussion paper regarding the future of the hospital. Jimmy Hamill, a member of the group, highlighted the strong local sentiments about the loss of services. He pointed out the hospital’s unused resources, such as operating theatres and beds, which could contribute to the sustainable delivery of emergency services in the area. Representatives from Sinn Féin, DUP, UUP, SDLP, and Alliance all expressed their support for the discussion paper during the meeting.
Patricia Maguire shared her distressing experience of being unable to secure an ambulance for her mother when she fell ill after an appointment at Altnagelvin Hospital. This incident highlighted the urgent need for better healthcare services in the region. Eileen McGovern, who tragically lost her daughter in a farm accident years ago, emphasized the potential consequences of delayed emergency care, stressing that lives are at risk due to the lack of local services.
The Department of Health confirmed that the discussion paper from SOAS would be considered alongside other responses to its consultation on hospital reconfiguration. With over 28,000 responses received from SOAS, the department aims to analyze and respond to the feedback. They emphasized the need to utilize hospital capacity effectively across all sites, acknowledging that every service cannot be available everywhere
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