08/09/2026
The Western Health and Social Care Trust was pleased to welcome new Health Minister, Robbie Butler MLA, to South West Acute Hospital (SWAH) last week, providing an opportunity to showcase a range of services, meet staff and discuss priorities for health and social care services across Fermanagh and West Tyrone.
Chief Executive, Karen Hargan, accompanied the Minister during his visit where he met staff working in theatre services and heard first-hand about the dedication, expertise and commitment they bring to delivering high-quality care for patients every day. He also visited the Human Milk Bank, based at SWAH, the only service of its kind on the island of Ireland, where he learned about the vital role it plays in providing donor human milk to vulnerable infants across Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
The Minister also received an update on the Trust’s Fermanagh and West Tyrone Future Health and Care Services programme, which is currently undertaking an extensive programme of engagement with staff, local communities, service users and stakeholders to help inform the development of a future Vision for health and care services in the area, including SWAH. The Trust recently announced that the formal engagement phase has been extended until the end of October 2026 to provide additional opportunities for people to contribute their views and this was welcomed by the Minister.
During discussions, the Trust highlighted the significant investment that has continued to be secured for services in Fermanagh and West Tyrone in recent years. This includes investment in elective care, diagnostic services, cancer services, mental health, urgent care, maternity and midwifery services, helping to strengthen services for local populations and improve access to care closer to home.
The Minister was also updated on work being undertaken in primary and community care, including the Trust’s intervention to stabilise three GP practices in Fermanagh and West Tyrone, safeguarding local access to GP services for almost 22,000 patients. The Trust continues to develop enhanced primary care services within the practices it manages and invest in community-based models of care to support people to remain independent and receive care closer to home.
Brian Telford, Vice-Chair of the Western Health and Social Care Trust, said:
“We were delighted to welcome the Health Minister to South West Acute Hospital and to have the opportunity to showcase some of the excellent work taking place across our services.
“The visit provided an important opportunity to highlight the dedication and professionalism of our staff, who continue to deliver high-quality care and support for patients and families across Fermanagh and West Tyrone.
“We were pleased to update the Minister on our Health and Care Futures programme of work for Fermanagh and West Tyrone and detail the extensive programme of engagement currently underway with staff, local communities and stakeholders. The extension of the formal engagement period to the end of October will provide further opportunities for people to help shape a future Vision for health and care services in the area.“The Minister also had the opportunity to see first-hand some of the significant developments taking place across SWAH and our wider health and social care system. Through continued investment in hospital, community and primary care services, we are working to strengthen services, improve access to care and ensure we meet the needs of our population now and into the future.
“We welcome the Minister’s support for our ongoing work and look forward to continuing to work closely with the Department of Health and our partners as we develop a long-term Vision for health and care services in Fermanagh and West Tyrone.”