SWAH: ‘No patient safety concerns’ after surgery suspension

The review of arrangements was carried out by the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA), which inspects healthcare facilities in Northern Ireland.

It said some patients were being subjected to a “double wait” at emergency departments, having been assessed at SWAH and then transferred to Altnagelvin Hospital in Londonderry where they have to wait for a second time.

The review said patients transferred from SWAH to Altnagelvin should be admitted directly to a surgical ward there.

The RQIA also questioned the degree of ambulance cover required for SWAH following the general surgery suspension.

It said this needed to be looked at urgently to ensure there was adequate provision for transferring patients to Altnagelvin.

At the time of suspension, the Western Health Trust said the move was temporary, but did not say when it expected emergency general surgery would resume.

Since then patients from Fermanagh who have had to travel to Altnagelvin Hospital have held several protests voicing their anger at the move.

The emergency department and other services including obstetrics have continued to operate as normal.

The WHT said the review supported its own findings that there had been “no patient safety concerns” arising from the suspension of emergency general surgery.

Trust Chief Executive Neil Guckian said it “did not choose to suspend this service lightly” as it “could no longer be safely maintained without permanent consultants”.

“Any trust would prefer a planned and managed change rather than the emergency suspension of a service, and in these circumstances there will be learning to take forward for the region.”

He added: “The independent data that we have indicates that emergency general surgery patients who come to Altnagelvin for their general surgery treatment have good outcomes, and these have not worsened as a result of this change.”