We appreciate the coverage provided by many reporters in newspapers, radio shows, and television. We rely on them at many times to give us a voice in the ongoing fight to protect the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH).
We also learn a lot from the recordings and updates of health bodies in Northern Ireland, which help us stay informed and address patient concerns effectively.
We value the attention the Campaign receives and the coverage that helps highlight the critical importance of SWAH. Our social media accounts play a key role in raising awareness about patient issues and encouraging community support.
Every piece of media coverage contributes to giving us a platform to speak out and advocate for the future of the South West Acute Hospital.
The Bassett report casts “grave doubts on validity of trust data. “The Public Health Agency (PHA) privately cautioned the Western Trust that its conclusions went beyond what the data could support. An independent statistical review confirmed no significant improvement. Yet the Trust continued — and apparently continues — to make…
Data is not a mirror. It does not simply reflect reality back at us — it selects, frames, and in doing so, inevitably excludes. The most powerful use of data is not confirmatory but exploratory: the patient, unglamorous work of tracking real changes in real communities, driven by genuine curiosity…
SOAS calls for Minister for Health to reschedule hospital network reconfiguration plan to allow ‘vision plan’ for SWAH to be incorporated .
Hospital campaign group SOAS expresses concerns over current timing and evidence underlying hospital reconfiguration.
NIAS admit Adverse Incidents while WHSCT state there are none.
An adjournment debate on the future of the South West Acute Hospital in Enniskillen is about to get underway at the Assembly.
A busload of hardy campaigners have travelled up for Stormont’s twilight session.
The average (median) length of stay of a patient at ED who is subsequently admitted is highest in Altnagelvin at 19 hours and 21 minutes – the highest in Northern Ireland and comparing to a regional average of 14 hours 21 minutes; that is almost 4 days. Five percent of…
Save Our Acute Services roadmap must be fully considered by Western Trust in developing vision plan for South West Acute Hospital.
Call comes as Western Trust confirms it is to hold a workshop after upcoming board meeting on next steps including consideration of the health minister’s request for a…
July 2025. Minister for Health halts process.
* Western Trust email creates confusion in Fermanagh and South Tyrone * * To our knowledge, Western Trust public consultation meeting scheduled for tonight is still cancelled
* Save Our Acute Services to launch campaign to defend access to live saving emergency surgery for people of Fermanagh * * Public urged to join wider campaign in defence of emergency surgery at South West Acute Hospital *
This weeks events are a major success for the local SOAS campaign, the workforce at SWAH and the local community as a whole. It has confirmed their ability to secure change from Stormont.
We are 1.
We have become 1.
1 community.
We shall be heard. We welcome this intervention. We consider this a substantial step.
The minister’s intervention comes amidst a tidal wave of community opposition to the Western Trust proposals. Firstly, the Trust had to cancel their only Fermanagh-based consultation event and then their second public consultation event scheduled for Derry/Londonderry.
The Western Trust announced the cancellation of this meeting on Friday last. However, all those who signed up for the meeting received an email this evening at 5pm stating that the meeting was going ahead.
Western Trust must suspend ‘shambolic’ consultation on permanent withdrawal of Emergency Surgery at SWAH after response from Patient Client Council. Hospital campaign group calls for postponement of Derry/Londonderry public consultation event
The hospital campaign group SOAS has called on the Western Health and Social Care Trust (WHSCT) to reschedule its proposed public consultation meeting in Fermanagh on its proposal to make permanent the removal of emergency general surgery (EGS) from South West Acute Hospital (SWAH). SOAS has also called on the…
Save Our Acute Services to launch campaign to defend access to live saving emergency surgery for people of Fermanagh Public urged to join wider campaign in defence of emergency surgery at South West Acute Hospital.
We must not allow ourselves to be second class.
We must not accept this situation. We MUST be determined to fight the narrative with facts and Patients and staff speaking out loud.
Save Our Acute Services (SOAS) has challenged the limited vision for the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH) expressed by the Health Minister Mike Nesbitt in his update on elective care published last week. The campaign group seeks the full and sustainable restoration of emergency general surgery at SWAH
Save Our Acute Services questions whether people of Fermanagh and Tyrone are being held to ransom over delay in provision of additional ambulances.
Campaign group Save Our Acute Services (SOAS) said the detail in the minutes was a “matter of huge concern”.
“People are asking whether our community is now being held to ransom,” said a spokesperson.
Health Minister Mike Nesbitt must intervene to put a stop to the surge in the outsourcing of radiology reporting. CT and MRI equipment lies underutilised at SWAH while Western Trust outsourcing of radiology reporting surges by 57% in one year .
Altnagelvin’s ED is currently the oldest in Northern Ireland. Having been built to cater for around 40,000 patients it now sees in the region of 70,000 per year. Altnagelvin’s ED is currently the oldest in Northern Ireland.
Having been built to cater for around 40,000 patients it now sees…
patient stories- all have given names to media and are published patient reports, all of which suggest patient outcomes are most definitely affected!
Would these rural populations, with poor transport and infrastructure, essentially become second-class citizens? Don’t they have equal rights to access a service?
This is a workforce collapse. Not transformation.
Irish News 28th February 2025
Save Our Acute Services campaigners have presented petition with over 28,000 signatures demanding restoration of emergency surgery in Fermanagh
4 Buses. 5 Hours Belfast Telegraph
(Feb 3rd 2025) SOAS claims changes to Terms of Reference compromised RQIA review of clinical pathways at SWAH
(Jan 29th 2025)
So we will have maternity services we will have, emergency surgery.
Far fewer patients being treated in SWAH than were treated in old Erne hospital
“Campaigners call for new ‘rural’ status for SWAH as they launch road map for healthcare”
Emergency deoartment delays leading to deaths, surgeon says.
Maurice Hayes, Enniskillen, Hospital Need, Rural Dwellers,
*Decision to hold hospital reconfiguration consultation event outside Fermanagh branded an insult. * *Health Minister Mike Nesbitt challenged to intervene and ensure a public consultation event is held in Fermanagh* *Fermanagh public encouraged to enrol and attend Omagh consultation event.
our hospital, will fulfill the full capacity which it was designed to deliver…
The Department of Health (DoH) said it was “concerned” by the experiences described by both patients and would be carrying out a review.
How can a Government be surprised by “Winter” when it appears. Health care provision includes foresight and planning.
£150 million in ‘no competition’ contracts given to private companies by health trusts over last 4 years * * Campaign group questions why existing capacity in hospitals is not being fully used
WHSCT on escalation beds in Altnagelvin. April 2024.
Nurses locker room is an escalation space for 9 days.
Mr Roockely says to WHSCT “you’re saying a room is fit for use – but its not.”
A hugely disproportionate 22% of all road traffic fatalities in Northern Ireland occurred in Fermanagh and Omagh in 2024
Decision to hold hospital reconfiguration consultation event outside Fermanagh branded an insult. * *Health Minister Mike Nesbitt challenged to intervene and ensure a public consultation event is held in Fermanagh
* Consultation launched without any public meetings or even on-line events *
North-South co-operation offers potential to restore NHS services in SWAH. * Health Minister Mike Nesbitt acknowledges that “SWAH was built on the basis of co-operation across the border”.*
Long awaited hospital framework threatens second class status for South West Acute Hospital (SWAH). Campaign rejects logic of giving more powers to the unaccountable Western Trust.
Draft Programme for Government published by Stormont Executive leaves Fermanagh in the cold. No commitment to investment in the county, in particular the restoration of emergency general surgery at SWAH
Ambulance Statistics confirm increased risks to patients in Fermanagh and South Tyrone due to removal of emergency general surgery from South West Acute Hospital.
Loss of falls referral service for older people will mean even greater numbers have to travel to Altnagelvin* *OPALs crisis follows loss of Our Hearts, Our Minds and Community Palliative Care
Almost £1 million has been spent on private ambulances for hospital to hospital transfers since removal of EGS from SWAH
*Following BBC & ITV exposure of two shocking cases where patients were kept days in a staff locker room in Altnagelvin, campaign reveals that it knows of a third case
Campaign group Save Our Acute Services has challenged the democratic mandate of the Permanent Secretary of the Department of Health to make permanent decisions to approve the withdrawal of vital services from hospitals
Threat to review future of maternity provision at SWAH highlights urgent need for a commitment to restore Emergency General Surgery at hospital* *’Getting It Right First Time (GIRFT)’ report shows no comprehension of challenges to healthcare access in rural areas*
Strategic Group minutes reveal Western Trust Chief raised prospect of name change for SWAH. Revelation comes as WHSCT Medical Director Brendan Lavery states the Trust is considering ‘stepping down services.’
Freedom of Information response exposes the last time WHSCT management attempted to recruit Consultant Surgeons to SWAH was May 2021*
Hospital campaign group, Save Our Acute Services (SOAS) welcomes the publication by the independent health regulator, the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA), of its plans for a first phase engagement as part of its wider Independent Review of patient pathways following the withdrawal of emergency general surgery from South…
Western Trust commits to re-instate ‘ring-fenced’ beds in Altnagelvin for SWAH emergency surgery patients
*Commitment comes more than one and a half years after Trust management promised ring-fenced beds for SWAH patients.
Local health campaign group write to new Health Minister Mike Nesbitt to highlight concerns over rollout of health regulator review. Campaign reports having been contacted by members of staff at SWAH over fears of being able to ‘safely and confidentially’ provide information to the review.
Hospital campaign group submission to health Regulator identifies huge risk facing patients from South West region from ‘double ED’ experience.
Hospital campaign provides evidence showing average time of over 40 hours for emergency surgical patients to get a bed in Altnagelvin.
Threat to review future of maternity provision at SWAH highlights urgent need for a commitment to restore Emergency General Surgery at hospital*
Strategic Group minutes reveal Western Trust Chief raised prospect of name change for SWAH. Revelation comes as WHSCT Medical Director Brendan Lavery states the Trust is considering ‘stepping down services
Save Our Acute Services confirms it is a named interested party to an application for a Judicial Review of Western Health and Social Care Trust decision to remove general surgery from South West Acute Hospital.
Hospital campaign group challenge apparent ‘finality’ of Western Trust consultation on ‘temporary’ removal of general surgery from SWAH. Group raises formal objection with process with Public Health Authority and Department of Health Strategic Planning & Performance Group
Response to campaign FOIs exposes five-year long agenda of downgrading South West Acute Hospital Shocking statistics on allocation of ”middle-grade” speciality doctors to Fermanagh shows the county has once again been de-railed.
Consultant recruitment documentation exposes WHSCT plans to permanently remove urgent and emergency surgery at SWAH*
As exposed by The Detail, there are allegations highlighting a toxic management culture at SWAH – which are leading clinicians to have concerns for patient safety and that our population is being unnecessarily put at risk.
Campaign group welcomes council endorsement of five-point plan to restore surgery at South West Acute Hospital and issues clarification of its evidential basis.
the alarming arrogance of the Trust’s hanling of SWAH. Having SWAH is not a “gift” but our right.
AnSOAS spokesperson challenged on foot of unseen document on BBC Good Morning Ulster July 2023.
In a jointly-signed letter seen and quoted on the front page of the Sunday Independent at the weekend, the group of obstetric and gynaecological consultants warned, “Harm will come to patients, and the reality of this needs to be made clear to the public.”
“a monument to unfilled capacity”
Dr Ghareeb retired Lead of Surgery
Thankyou to Belfast Telegraph.
(Department was told suspension would lead to further patient travel) INHERENT RISKS’ IN CEASING EMERGENCY GENERAL SURGERY AT SOUTH WEST ACUTE HOSPITAL(Department was told suspension would lead to further patient travel) BELFAST TELEGRAPHLIAM TUNNEY Tuesday 20th June 2023 at 06:00 The Department of Health was warned of “inherent risks” involved…
In essence we firmly belive that by speaking UP, your patient story may in fact save lives of other patients.
What a Pity
83,343 have to travel 60 minutes or more. we have a right to access a service.
Reforming is not helping. Elective surgery waiting lists are still growing? November 2024. 506, 612 patients on waiting lists. Shameful! Why is it logical to continue to drive forward an agenda to close services such as surgery in our local hospital while Northern Ireland waiting list continue to grow? The…
without the press we would be som much less!
“If you put on 15 new ambulances in the morning and recruit a hundred staff to work in them, you are just going to have 15 more ambulances sitting outside EDs waiting to offload people. “The problem with the health service is not at the front door, but the back;…
Delighted to have BBC news NI cover the signing off of the Western Trust team as acceptance of our indivual responses to their Consultation on the removal of Emergency General Surgery.
These were a lot of responses to the consultation grudgingly held by the Western Trust after the collapse of its workforce in surgery.
Private eye “Freedom Of no-Information” December 2024
They said “”Make a solution, make a solution, and we have”
We must never normalise poor patient outcomes and health inequalities.
