Council to hold emergency meeting about SWAH

FERMANAGH and Omagh District Council (FODC) is to convene an emergency meeting over the ongoing situation around the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH), and has requested that the Western Health Trust’s chief executive, Neil Guckian, is in attendance.

In addition, members have requested that details are not discussed in closed session – as demanded by Mr Guckian during a Health and Social Care Subcommittee meeting last month – with the council’s chief executive, Alison McCullough, feeling that some content heard confidentially would have been “helpful” if disclosed in public.

The special meeting was proposed by Stephen McCann, of Sinn Fein, who said, “As a local government authority, are we doing all we can and could we be doing more?

“We should call an emergency meeting with a one-item agenda, and invite the [Western] Trust Chief Executive and his team to listen to the concerns of this Council. It’s that serious, and merits such an action.”

‘CONFUSED’

Seconding, Adam Gannon, of the SDLP, welcomed the suggestion, but added, “The Health Subcommittee meeting went confidential very quickly, and a lot of members and the public were watching who were very confused. It worried people.

“I ask [that] for this meeting, everything is put in the public domain, and we let the [Trust] Chief Executive know he has to speak publicly, not just give a statement and go into confidential.”

UUP councillor, Matthew Bell, was strongly in support and asked if this could be incorporated into the proposal, to which Councillor McCann replied, “I agree in principle, and fully understand and support the reasons. But can we precondition [that] the meeting should be held in the public domain?”

The council’s chief executive, Ms McCullagh, advised a desire could be expressed for as much as possible of the discussion should be held in public. Referring to the Health Subcommittee meeting, she continued, “The [Western Trust] chief executive wanted matters primarily relating to Human Resources not be disclosed in public.

“We could re-state the concerns raised, but I don’t think we can direct the Trust to discuss [all matters] in public. We can say the council expects as much as possible is disclosed in public.”

HELPFUL

She continued: “In my opinion, some matters discussed confidentially would have been helpful if in the public domain.

“But if we condition it, we run the risk of the meeting not proceeding at all.”

DUP councillor Errol Thompson supported Mr Guckian and his team attending an emergency meeting, but stressed there were reasons some confidential matters at the Health Subcommittee meeting were confidential.