SOAS legal challenge to decision to remove emergency general surgery initiated at High Court
Continued delay on commissioning the return of emergency surgery to SWAH undermines basic human rights
Campaign group Save Our Acute Services (SOAS) has confirmed that preliminary consideration of its legal challenge to the removal of Emergency General Surgery (EGS) at the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH) has now commenced at the High Court in Belfast.
This marks a significant step forward in SOAS’s determined pursuit of all available legal avenues to secure the restoration of life-saving services for the population of the South West.
At the same time, SOAS is calling on the Stormont Executive to act without further delay to fund and commission a new, sustainable emergency surgical service at SWAH. The group has urged that this be prioritised within the Executive’s budget.
SOAS spokesperson Donal O’Cofaigh said: “It is now widely accepted that there are no overriding clinical barriers to restoring emergency surgery at SWAH as a newly commissioned service. The issue is one of funding and political will.
“The commencement of preliminary consideration at the High Court demonstrates that our legal case is progressing. We are resolute in pursuing this route while continuing to press urgently for a political and funding solution.
“Every day without access to emergency surgery places our population at unacceptable risk. The continued delay in commissioning this service represents a denial of basic human rights and must be addressed as a matter of urgency.”
SOAS reiterated that both legal action and political engagement will continue in parallel until emergency surgical services are restored at SWAH.