Rally against cutbacks to emergency surgery at South West Acute Hospital in Enniskillen

The campaign group Save our Acute Services (SOAS) planned the event after what it said was "a hugely successful" ‘Ring of Steel’ event around the hospital last Saturday, 26 November.

The public meeting tonight, Friday 2 December, takes place at 7pm at the Lakeland Forum in Enniskillen.

campaign group has written to invite elected representatives from all political parties in the county to press for the retention of emergency general surgery, and wider acute services, at South West Acute Hospital (SWAH).

In a statement, SOAS said: "The rally is being held against a backdrop of mounting revelations which directly challenge Western Health and Social Care Trust management assurances over wider acute services.

"The announced ‘temporary’ suspension of emergency general surgery at the hospital has been followed by a number of consultants in acute specialisms either resigning or actively seeking employment elsewhere – resulting in growing uncertainty over their sustainability.

Speaking of Friday night's rally, it said: “Today’s event is a chance for the public to demand action from the politicians. The politicians need to step up and guarantee access to basic life-saving health services. The people of

Fermanagh have a right to access health services just like anywhere else. At root, where health services are based is a political decision and the politicians can change the dynamic by coming out in defence of SWAH services. They must now do this."

Consultant surgeons from the Review of General Surgery Network Board recently spoke out to say that retaining emergency surgery in Enniskillen was going against the UK trend. They said that it was better for patients and doctors if centralised hospitals specialised in emergency surgery because they would have 24-7 multidisciplinary support teams available.

By contrast, they said, more peripheral hospitals find it difficult to attract and retain emergency surgeons because they know they will not get adequate experience to progress their careers there and because support services are not as comprehensive during emergencies.As a result, they said, the emergency surgery team in Enniskillen was now too small to be viable. By contrast, they said, more peripheral UK hospitals are increasingly specialising in a range of elective areas.