Western Trust Pauses SWAH Emergency Surgery Removal Consultation

The Western Health and Social Care Trust has paused and is resetting its consultation process on the permanent removal of emergency general surgery (EGS) services from the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH) in Enniskillen following significant public opposition, confusion, and safety concerns regarding consultation events. The temporary transfer of EGS services to Altnagelvin Hospital remains in place, but the Trust has committed to developing a revised, inclusive consultation approach to better engage with the community and stakeholders. The pause follows errant communication from the Eventbrite system that caused confusion among the public about consultation event scheduling, prompting criticism from local politicians and calls for clearer communication. The Health Minister, Mike Nesbitt, also intervened by requesting the Trust pause the consultation and urged the development of a vision plan to restore confidence and outline how SWAH will meet current and future healthcare needs. Campaign groups like Save Our Acute Services (SOAS) have proposed alternative plans aiming to sustain acute services, including emergency general surgery, at SWAH and emphasize community involvement in any future decisions. The Trust and Department of Health remain committed to high-quality care at SWAH and acknowledge the need to rebuild public trust through improved consultation and engagement processes.