Fermanagh and Omagh District Council has unanimously backed calls for a public inquiry into the handling of the public consultation into the removal of emergency general surgery at the South West Acute Hospital.
In the last full council meeting ahead of fresh elections next month, the call for a fully independent public inquiry into the Western Health and Social Care Trust’s handling of the situation at the Enniskillen hospital was passed.
Emergency general surgery at the hospital has been suspended since 5 December after the Trust said it could not recruit the adequate number of surgeons to fulfil the rota.
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Members were referred to a paper on the SWAH supplied by the Western Trust which Councillor Donal O’Cofaigh claimed was ‘a very dishonest response from management’.
Highlighting the assertion from the Trust that the SWAH retains Type 1 Emergency Department Status, Councillor O’Cofaigh stressed: “We all know that requires 24-hour surgical provision on-site.
“The reality is this status is now hanging on the fact there are consultant obstetricians on-site on a round-the-clock basis.
“That’s very far away from what you’d expect from an emergency department. We do not have the same provision. We no longer have urgent or emergency surgery at the SWAH.”
He proposed the Council write to Department of Health Permanent Secretary, Peter May, and Secretary of State, Chris Heaton-Harris “demanding a fully independent public inquiry into the handling of the current SWAH crisis by the Western Trust and the circumstances surrounding what they have created”.
This was seconded by Councillor Eamon Keenan, Independent, who said: “The Trust still claim the closure of emergency general surgery at the SWAH is temporary, while showing us no actions or measures they are taking or planning.
“They are continuing to advertise for four consultant general surgeons to be based at Altnagelvin Hospital, not at the SWAH, claiming this will maximise the capability of elective care.
“This is not a solution. It actually seems like a plan to permanently close emergency surgery at SWAH.”
The proposal passed unanimously in the council chamber.
Meanwhile, campaign group Save Our Acute Services this week hand delivered a trolley containing 30,000 responses from the local community which it says support its five point plan which it published as an alternative to the suspension of emergency general surgery.
Among the suggestions include the creation of a separate NHS Trust for the South West area.
“This is the viable alternative,” a campaign group spokesperson said.
“Nobody else in this province is second class, nobody else travels up to 2.5 hours for urgent surgery and we won’t accept it.”
A public consultation into what the Trust calls a temporary change in services will end this month, with the outcomes to be reported to its board in the summer.
A Spokesperson for the Trust 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. The Consultation ends in April 2023.”
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