South West Acute Hospital: 30,000 sign letters opposing surgery plans

More than 30,000 signatures were collected opposing plans to remove emergency general surgery from the hospital

More than 30,000 people have signed letters opposing plans to remove emergency general surgery from the South West Acute Hospital in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh.

The letters contain five proposals from the Save Our Acute Services (SOAS) campaign group to restore services.

Emergency surgery was temporarily suspended last December.

The Western Trust said the suspension was necessary to protect the public's safety after staff recruitment issues.

A 12-week public consultation on the changes ends on 10 April.

A Trust spokesperson said: "All responses to the Trust Consultation on the Temporary Change to Emergency General Surgery will form part of the Trust Outcome Report due to be presented to Trust Board in Summer 2023.

Signatures were collected by campaigners over the last two weeks and were handed to the Western Health Trust at the hospital.

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The chairman of SOAS, Reggie Ferguson, said the Trust had asked for alternative proposals to its plan to remove surgery.

"We're standing in, probably one of the best equipped hospitals in Ireland and some people don't realise that," Mr Ferguson said.

"So we've been asked for ideas, this is your answer. This is what to do.

"What you need to do is to read the five points, 30,000 times.

"Please take these away. Think about it and do what we're telling you to do."

The SOAS group have proposed a five-point action plan

The SOAS campaign group believes emergency surgery can be saved at SWAH and have proposed a five-point plan:

• A separate NHS trust for the south west area with its own management team

• Restore urgent and emergency surgical services at SWAH with Department of Health assistance on rotas

• New initiatives to ensure a settled workforce where all staff including consultants and locums are respected and valued

• New surgical specialities to be introduced with emphasis on key areas

• Relaunch of all five operating theatres to provide emergency care and elective care for local and regional needs including cross-border

People will have to travel to other hospitals for emergency general surgery

Emergency general surgery relates to the treatment of patients with conditions such as acute abdominal pain, infections, bleeding and trauma.

It includes operations such as removing a patient's gall bladder, appendix or part of the bowel.

If left unattended these conditions can become life-threatening.

According to the Western Trust, SWAH deals with about five such cases a day and that is not enough to sustain a dedicated emergency general surgical team.

Local people are concerned that the road infrastructure does not support a quick transfer of patients from Enniskillen to Altnagelvin, Craigavon or hospitals in Belfast.

Fermanagh and Omagh District Council has unanimously demanded an independent public inquiry into the health trust's handling of the crisis at the hospital.

Councillors voted to write to the Department of Health permanent secretary, Peter May, and Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris.