06/07/2026
Independent evidence has confirmed continued improvements in Emergency General Surgery patient pathways across the Western Trust, with both the RQIA Inspection Report and the independent CHKS review highlighting better patient outcomes, improved patient flow and enhanced patient safety.
The Trust is therefore setting out the findings of both independent reports following inaccurate public commentary which does not fully reflect their conclusions. While RQIA identifies areas for further improvement, its report does not reach that conclusion and records significant progress across the pathways, together with no evidence of patient harm in the incidents reviewed.
The Western Trust recognises staff concerns regarding patient transfers and delays and continues to take decisive action to address these issues.
The RQIA findings are consistent with the independent CHKS review, published in January 2026, which analysed patient outcomes over a two-year and five-month period from December 2022 to April 2025. That independent analysis confirmed substantial improvements in patient outcomes following the service changes, including:
- 24% reduction in mortality
- 28.5% reduction in complications
- 22.5% reduction in readmissions
CHKS concluded:
“Overall, the data shows a clear and statistically significant reduction in mortality rate for emergency surgery patients following the revision to surgical services.”
The RQIA report also recognises that 97% of patients requiring transfer from South West Acute Hospital are admitted directly to an inpatient surgical bed at Altnagelvin Hospital, helping to minimise delays in receiving specialist care.
In addition, an average of 5.6 patients each day continue to receive same-day or next-day treatment through the Emergency Surgical Ambulatory Assessment Unit at South West Acute Hospital, while an average of just 2.5 patients per day require transfer to Altnagelvin Hospital for inpatient surgical care.
These independent findings demonstrate continued improvement in patient outcomes while also identifying further opportunities to strengthen the pathways, which the Trust fully accepts and is actively implementing.
The Western Trust remains committed to maintaining safe, effective and sustainable services for our population and will continue to work closely with RQIA, our staff, the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service and partner organisations to implement the report’s recommendations and further strengthen the quality and safety of care for patients across the Western Trust area.
To support openness and provide factual information for the public, the Trust has developed a dedicated online information hub setting out the Emergency General Surgery pathways, key milestones, timelines, independent reports and frequently asked questions.