An independent review by CHKS has confirmed a 24% reduction in mortality rates for emergency general surgery patients in the Western Health and Social Care Trust from December 2022 to April 2025.

The temporary suspension of emergency general surgery at South West Acute Hospital in Enniskillen was implemented in December 2022 due to difficulties in recruiting and retaining consultant surgeons, in line with revised Department of Health safety standards introduced in June 2022.

The CHKS analysis also recorded a 28.5% reduction in complications and a 22.5% decrease in readmissions over the 2.5-year period, attributing the improvements to revisions in surgical services.

Western Trust Chief Executive Neil Guckian stated that the data demonstrates a clinically meaningful improvement in patient survival, with the Trust now fully compliant with the Department of Health standards, including a 24/7 Upper Gastrointestinal Bleeding Pathway.

Currently, 5.6 patients per day with emergency general surgery issues are managed at South West Acute Hospital through an Emergency Surgical Ambulatory Assessment Unit, with 2.5 requiring transfer to Altnagelvin Hospital for inpatient care.