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Fermanagh and West Tyrone Future Health and Care Services

WesternTrust moving forward on visioning work for ‘Future Health and Care Services in Fermanagh and West Tyrone’

On 7 October 2025, the Trust Board formally agreed to close the Public Consultation and also approved the start of new work to design and develop a Vision Plan — a forward-looking programme that will focus on the people and places of Fermanagh and West Tyrone. As requested by so many people and partners, including elected Representatives, this plan will need a meaningful period of engagement and listening sessions and will include specific work relating to the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH).

Chief Executive, Neil Guckian stated:

“Firstly, I want to reaffirm our strong and ongoing commitment to the long-term sustainability and development of SWAH as a vital and successful hospital within the Health and Social Care (HSC) regional network. This commitment has been clearly supported by the Department of Health and by the Minister. We will continue to work with all relevant partners and stakeholders to develop a shared understanding of local health and care needs, and to listen to the community on the future of healthcare in Fermanagh and West Tyrone. We intend to take a whole-system view — spanning hospital, community and primary care — with SWAH as an integral part of that vision. I have already offered to meet with the SOAS Executive and would welcome that engagement as part of this process.”

The forthcoming work will be informed by the earlier Fermanagh and West Tyrone Pathfinder project. Pathfinder was seen as an excellent example of positive and meaningful engagement with our local population, with 62 engagement sessions at community venues with contributions from more than 2,200 people. Although that work took place before the pandemic, it provided valuable insights into local needs and priorities, particularly the importance of community, mental health, and primary care services. These areas will continue to be important in our long-term planning.

While this work progresses, the temporary suspension of Emergency General Surgery (EGS) at SWAH, which has been in place since December 2022, will remain. The Department of Health’s Review of General Surgery in Northern Ireland (June 2022) introduced new standards to ensure services are safe and deliver the best possible outcomes for patients. The current surgical pathways, introduced in December 2022, meet those standards.

Independent data on patient outcomes since that time show improved results for patients from the Western Trust who have received emergency general surgery at Altnagelvin — including fewer deaths, reduced complication rates, and lower readmission rates. These temporary arrangements are delivering safe and effective care, and all pathways continue to be closely monitored in line with clinical standards.

It is important to re-emphasise that SWAH remains a key acute hospital within the Northern Ireland network. It continues to provide a 24/7 Type 1 Emergency Department, maternity (obstetrics and gynaecology) services, full resuscitation and intensive care facilities, and a broad range of medical specialties including respiratory, gastroenterology, and cardiology — all of which will continue into the future.

The Department of Health and the Minister have reaffirmed SWAH’s critical ongoing role in serving both the local population and patients from across Northern Ireland.

The Western Trust is currently developing a comprehensive communications programme to help better inform the public, providing clear and factual information, and this will be implemented alongside the stakeholder engagement programme in the months ahead. Full details and ongoing updates will be provided on the Western Trust website at: Fermanagh and West Tyrone Future Health and Care Services | Western Health & Social Care Trust

SWAH remains an Acute Hospital with a type 1 Emergency Department

The Department of Health and the Minister have re-iterated that SWAH will have a critical role to play going forward and will continue to provide services to patients not just across Fermanagh and parts of Tyrone but across Northern Ireland. SWAH remains an important Acute Hospital within the NI hospital network and its acute services provision has not changed. SWAH provides a 24/7 Type 1 Emergency Department, maternity services (Obs and Gynae), full resuscitation facilities and ICU, in addition to being a part of the major trauma network.

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