Consultation on SWAH emergency surgery opens next week

THE public is being urged to have its say on the collapse of emergency general surgery at the South West Acute Hospital, with the consultation on the issue due to open next week.

The Western Trust has announced it will begin the legally-required consultation on the withdrawal of the life-saving service on the week beginning January 16.

While the Trust said this will involve a series of in-person and online public events, with many thousands expected to take part, it has yet to release details of when and where these events will be held.

On Monday night, during a special council meeting, Trust chief executive, Neil Guckian said the consultation would be seeking to find a solution to the current situation, which has seen the service suspended due to a lack of available surgeons.

During that meeting, Mr Guckian and other Trust officials stressed the collapse of the service had been unplanned and was intended to be temporary, but noted new Department of Health standards and difficulties in recruitment meant reinstating it would be difficult.

They also outlined how the mitigation measures it had put in place to cope with the withdrawal of the service – which have seen 72 local patients being transferred to Altnagevlin for treatment in recent weeks – had been “very successful” and there had been “no issues of concern” as a result of the suspension of the service.

is taking place at Fermanagh House tonight (Thursday) at 7pm ahead of the opening of the consultation, to come up with a plan on how to respond.

Speaking to the Herald, Cllr O’Cofaigh, who is a founding member of SOAS, said while there were many questions over the Trust’s handling of the situation, the local public should have its say and respond in high numbers to the consultation.

“It has to be said, this is a sham consultation as it’s happening after the decision has already been made,” he said, questioning the Trust’s claim the withdrawal of the service was temporary.

Cllr O’Cofaigh added, “At the same time, we can’t afford it to be said that we didn’t engage with their consultation, so we will engage with it.”