The MP met with ad-hoc hospital group representative, Mrs. Dianne Ruckchati, who outlined concerns about plans to start work on two new buildings at the hospital site.

    Mrs Ruckchati warned that if development went ahead on the new GP centre and the “New Hope” building, it could stymie Fermanagh’s chances of keeping acute services at all.

    She explained that development of a new hospital on the Erne site would cost £40 million less than to develop on a green- or brownfield site.

    “This could be the only place the hospital could be in terms of revenue,” she said.

    Work was due to start yesterday on the New Hope centre, which incorporates a welfare rights advice centre.

    Ms Gildernew said she was not in favour of any building work starting at the Erne site while any doubt remained over whether Fermanagh would get a new hospital.

    She said she had lobbied the Sperrin Lakeland Trust to do nothing until the Hayes report was published and it was now even more urgent that development should be postponed.

    “They are going to have to take on board not just the recommendations of the Hayes report but those of the community in Fermanagh,” she said.