30/10/2026
The Western Health and Social Care Trust remains committed to working openly with the public, people who use services, staff, carers, community organisations and elected representatives to plan the future of health and social care services in Fermanagh and West Tyrone.
The current Health and Care Futures programme is about listening to people’s views to help develop a long-term vision for health and social care in the area. It is not a consultation on a specific proposal to change services. No decisions have been made about any future permanent arrangements for Emergency General Surgery at South West Acute Hospital.
The Health and Care Futures programme has given people across Fermanagh and West Tyrone many opportunities to share their views, experiences and priorities, and we want to thank everyone who has taken part.
Our approach has been based on informing people about our services, engaging with a wide range of groups and undertaking a formal engagement through a questionnaire which individuals can complete. The feedback will help us understand local needs, challenges and priorities as we plan for the future.
When the engagement process ends, the findings will be analysed and published as part of a Vision for Health and Care in this area and is expected by early March 2027.
Any proposal to make a permanent change to Emergency General Surgery at South West Acute Hospital is different to, and separate from, this work and would go through a formal public consultation. We are currently planning for that consultation process, which would start in early summer 2027, subject to Trust Board approval.
The final decision on any change to Emergency General Surgery at South West Acute Hospital would rest with the Department of Health and the Health Minister.
Patient safety and providing safe, effective, high-quality care remain the Trust’s top priority.
Trust Clarifies Arrangements for Submission of SOAS Survey Responses
The Trust can confirm that, following correspondence with Save Our Acute Services (SOAS), arrangements were agreed for the delivery of SOAS survey responses. SOAS had not made arrangements with the Trust to deliver the material at SWAH and arrived at the hospital without prior agreement regarding receipt of the responses.
The SOAS materials were subsequently received by Trust representatives on 29 October 2026 at the Fermanagh and West Tyrone Health and Care Futures Programme Management Office in Omagh, in line with the arrangements previously agreed with SOAS. This location is the most appropriate setting for the receipt and storage of the materials, rather than South West Acute Hospital, where the care and wellbeing of patients, families, staff and visitors must remain the priority.
Chief Executive, Karen Hargan, said:
“We fully respect the right of Save Our Acute Services to campaign and to make its views known. However, concerns have been raised with me by staff about the decision to bring the responses to South West Acute Hospital, accompanied by filming and publicity, despite very clear arrangements having been made for their submission elsewhere.”
“A busy hospital should not become the setting for any group external to the Trust to undertake publicity activity in a way that causes concern for staff or potentially impacts patients and families. We would ask all organisations engaging with the Trust to respect agreed arrangements and the particular environment in which our staff provide care. The responses submitted by SOAS will, of course, now be reviewed, verified and we will consider how they can be taken into account as part of the Fermanagh and West Tyrone Health and Care Futures engagement.”
A senior member of medical staff at SWAH commented:
“Hospitals are places of care and treatment, where the wellbeing of patients, families and staff must always come first. It is important that activities associated with campaigns are managed in a way that respects that environment.”
The Trust has again offered to meet with SOAS representatives and would welcome that engagement. This would provide an opportunity to discuss how the questionnaires were distributed and how the responses were collected and managed by SOAS, in order to help inform how the material can be appropriately considered as part of the wider engagement process.
The Trust remains committed to listening to local communities, ensuring that people’s views are carefully considered, and continuing to work openly with all stakeholders as the Fermanagh and West Tyrone Health and Care Futures Programme progresses.