Fermanagh and Omagh District Council has condemned the abuse directed at South West Acute Hospital staff during last week’s A32 roadworks. Councillors heard that nurses, porters and car park attendants were verbally attacked as they managed severe disruption to parking and access.

The road closure, which lasted from Monday to Friday, was completed on schedule but caused significant difficulties for staff and patients. While the Department for Infrastructure met its stated timeline, the planning drew sharp criticism from elected members.

Alliance Councillor Eddie Roofe said he stepped in two days before the works began because no plan was in place. He arranged for Erne Integrated College and Enniskillen Integrated Primary School to open their gates to provide extra parking, as the hospital had only about 200 spaces for roughly 900 cars.

Councillor Roofe said there was a severe lack of information provided ahead of the works, although he did not blame the Western Health and Social Care Trust, which he said had little information itself. He described the organisation of the roadworks as very poor and called for lessons to be learned.

SDLP Councillor Adam Gannon praised PSNI officers who became involved due to safety concerns on the diversion route, where he said there were several near misses. He criticised the planning process, noting that contractors finished ahead of schedule but that the scheme’s design was fundamentally flawed.

Councillor Gannon questioned why double shifts were not used, why the diversion was not staffed by marshals as promised, and why additional HGV diversion routes were not put in place. He also asked why the Coa Road had not been prepared for the increased traffic.

The council agreed to write to the Department for Infrastructure seeking answers on these issues, and to the Western Trust to highlight the role elected representatives could play in future planning. Councillors said earlier involvement would have led to a better outcome.