Derry consultation on closure of South West Acute Hospital services cancelled

The group campaigning for the retention of acute services  - including emergency general surgery - in Enniskillen’s South West Acute Hospital (SWAH), has welcomed Health Minister Mike Nesbitt’s intervention in the Western Health and Social Care Trust’s consultation on the issue.

‘Save Our Acute Services’ said the way was now open “to bring forward an ambitious roadmap to restore and fully utilise SWAH through con-production and working together”.

Minister Nesbitt wrote to the Trust on Wednesday asking it to pause the process, the day before a consultation event due to be held in Derry’s Waterfoot Hotel.

Emergency general surgery was suspended at SWAH in December 2022. As a result, patients from Fermanagh and Tyrone have had to travel to Altnagelvin Area Hospital in the city for treatment. 

Earlier this month, the Trust’s board agreed to open a public consultation on the permanent removal of the service from SWAH. 

In an online statement issued on Wednesday, the Trust said: “Following a high level risk assessment, in the interest of public safety and due to the anticipated numbers attending, [the Trust] took the decision on July 11, 2025, to postpone the first consultation event for the proposed changes to Emergency General Surgery in the Trust area at the Killyhevlin Hotel, Enniskillen, on Tuesday, July 15.

“Given this week’s developments and listening to public opinion, the Trust is now in the process of resetting ots consultation approach and has decided to postpone the planned event at the Waterfoot Hotel, Derry, on July 17, 2025. 

“We want to ensure this consultation is inclusive and engaging for all individuals, groups and organisations.

“The Trust wants to engage with as many people as possible in a meaningful and engaging way and provide the time and space for them to have their voices heard. Information with respect to next steps will be published as soon as details have been confirmed.”

In a statement to The Derry News, ‘Save Our Acute Services’ spokesperson, Donal O’Cofaigh, said the Health Minister’s statement had acknowledged the Trust’s consultation process was "besieged by obvious shortcomings and mistakes”.

Mr Cofaigh added: “[The Minister] suggested a more beneficial approach would be to ‘restore confidence by producing a vision plan’ for SWAH. He also stressed that ‘service reconfiguration must be handled carefully – particularly when it involves smaller hospitals like SWAH that serve rural populations’.

“In January this year, ‘Save Our Acute Services’ launched a roadmap discussion paper including twenty recommendations which they believe will enable a full and sustainable restoration of emergency general surgery at SWAH.

“This is a welcome intervention by the Minister and will provide significant assurance to the community. This consultation should never have proceeded in the first place. SOAS highlighted a range of concerns about the process and made the Patient Client Council aware of these.

“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,” said Mr Cofaigh.

“The Western Trust must now bring this consultation to an end and instead commence work on an alternative, ambitious vision plan for the hospital. SOAS has set out an evidence-based roadmap which we believe offers a pathway for the long-term sustainability of all acute services in SWAH as a rural hospital - including the provision of emergency general surgery,” he added.

“This roadmap will deliver on the hospital’s huge and largely untapped potential for improving health outcomes locally, regionally and cross-border.

“SOAS stands ready to engage positively in any inclusive and co-produced process commencing with a commitment to work towards the restoration of emergency general surgery at SWAH. Such a process must also involve staff representatives and the wider community,” said Mr Cofaigh. 

IN PICTURES: Community Rescue Service honoured in Derry's Guildhall

The recognition for Community Rescue Service (Western Division) was for the pivotal service provided in the city and district by the group

‘Bronco’ tournament hits 40-year milestone, and there’s plenty more to come!

The ‘Bronco’ tournament has produced some amazing players, teams, moments and memories throughout the years

Fermanagh and South Tyrone MP, Pat Cullen (Sinn Féin), said the onus was now on the Trust to “rebuild” public confidence. 

Ms Cullen added she would “continue to work to ensure everyone has access to high quality, safe, and effective clinical care”. “It comes as no real surprise that the Health Minister has ordered the Western Trust to halt the SWAH consultation,” added the former Chief Executive and General Secretary of the Royal College of nursing. 

 “When it was decided that a consultation would be held on the closure of emergency general surgery at the SWAH, we called for a comprehensive process across all communities affected, instead only two events were scheduled. “The public were left feeling that their concerns and experiences were not being listened to. The onus is now on the Western Trust to rebuild public confidence and listen to them. “They also need to produce a plan for SWAH which outlines how it will be supported to meet the needs of the community and the future population.”