A public meeting takes place in Enniskillen tonight (Monday) to discuss patient safety after the withdrawal of emergency general surgery at the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH).

The event, organised by the campaign group Save Our Acute Services (SOAS), will present its analysis of a recent Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA) inspection report. SOAS says the report documents widespread concern among healthcare staff about current patient pathways.

SOAS spokesperson Donal O’Cofaigh stated that the findings confirm safety issues raised since emergency surgery was removed from SWAH in December 2022. He argued that there are no overriding clinical reasons preventing the restoration of an emergency surgical service and that the matter now depends on political will and funding.

The Western Health and Social Care Trust issued a statement this week rejecting what it called inaccurate public claims. It highlighted two independent reports which, it says, demonstrate improved patient outcomes since the service changes.

A review by independent analysts CHKS, published in January 2026, examined data from December 2022 to April 2025. It found a 24 per cent reduction in mortality, a 28.5 per cent reduction in complications and a 22.5 per cent reduction in readmissions for emergency surgery patients. The review concluded there had been a clear and statistically significant reduction in the mortality rate.

The recent RQIA inspection recognised progress across emergency general surgery pathways and found no evidence of patient harm in the incidents it reviewed. It also showed that 97 per cent of patients transferred from SWAH are admitted directly to an inpatient surgical bed at Altnagelvin Hospital.

The Trust acknowledged staff concerns about transfers and delays and said it is taking action to address them. An average of 5.6 patients per day are treated through the Emergency Surgical Ambulatory Assessment Unit at SWAH without needing inpatient transfer, while an average of 2.5 patients per day are moved to Altnagelvin for inpatient surgical care.

The Trust has launched an online information hub with details of the pathways, independent reports and frequently asked questions. It will continue to work with the RQIA, the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service and other partners to implement the report’s recommendations.

Tonight’s meeting begins at 7pm at the Westville Hotel in Enniskillen.