An SOAS spokesperson challenged on foot of unseen document on BBC Good Morning Ulster 12th July 2023.

The interview was based on the unseen document- called a “judgment” made by the Royal College of Surgeons about our population being better off by having emergency surgery in Altnagelvin.

The interview was challenging but was one which later we were made aware was just being another one of the 101 “consultation response” to the WHSCT consultation report on the removal of Emergency Surgery from SWAH.

When we were made aware of this fact, we found the full document.

This interview unfortunately seemed to be a cherry-picked selection from an 8 page document based on the option that we have NO surgery Vs go to Altnagelvin!

LINK here to BBC article : https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-66167754

While the interview focused mainly on the above material, we studied the document and there were phrases in the full response were very upsetting to read as we are being so casually referred to in such a way with no risks assessed.

“no matter how rare the cases this phrase should never be unimportant…“

in areas of DEPRIVATION such as ours the rate of preventable deaths are 3 times more than in others.

This should have been the FOCUS- the withdrawal of emergency Surgery services at SWAH will INEVITABLY have impact on rural needs…. increasing times for ambulances to get a patient to a suitably facility!

And throughout this year the Royal College of Surgeons in England and Edinburgh made this statements….