The Roadmap Series 2.
The Department of Health wish to reform hospitals in Northern Ireland. It has named 3 categories.
Area General Local
SWAH would be proposed to be a General hospital.
SWAH needs essential services that are associated with emergency care to be able to give us equal access to lifesaving emergency care. We can maintain a sustainable emergency and elective mix suited to its rurality and deprivation.
However, SWAH does not need all of the services that are appropriate to an Area Hospital (e.g. chemotherapy).
Altnagelvin is unable to safely deliver emergency surgical services to the South West region.
Consideration must be given to providing a range of essential secondary care services to SWAH.
SOAS have created a NEW category that is needed for SWAH.
SWAH would be best categorised as a ‘Rural Area Hospital’ that recognises its unique mix of being a medium sized hospital (with 5 theatres and 312 beds) in a remote location delivering full unscheduled and elective care.
