SOUTH West Acute Hospital (SWAH) is operating at “crisis point”, the Impartial Reporter can exclusively reveal.
This newspaper has acquired information from an anonymous tip-off which exposes the true extent of the pressure staff at the multi-million pound acute facility are currently working under.
The information reveals that this week alone, what was described as "unsafe” and “dangerous” staffing levels left senior medical consultants with no option but to threaten to cancel elective surgery at the hospital for the second time in as many months. It is understood the threat came after four out of six surgeons were reportedly off on sick or annual leave.
The information supplied to the Impartial Reporter describes overworked senior doctors having to fulfill the role of up to three posts on a daily basis in the hospital. And it points to a clear disparity in the distribution of resources across the Trust’s three hospital sites.
Last year the sum of ‘Winter Pressures’ monies, totalling £800,000, was allocated entirely to Altnagelvin.
According to a source who has verified the obtained information, this disparity has created a hostile environment of ‘them and us’ between Altnagelvin and the southern sector’s SWAH and Tyrone County Hospital (TCH).

“The last time elective surgery was cancelled, it was due to an issue with the nursing staff turn-over in theatres,” they explained. That was at the end of the summer.
“Management are not allowed to travel here, managers are banned from travelling down for ‘expense reasons’, with the exception of there being ‘clinical reasons’. Divisional directors wouldn’t darken the door here, but they practically live in Altnagelvin.  How often do Elaine Way or Gerry Guckian ever come here?”

“The Trust was allocated £800,000 in winter pressures money last year.  Altnagevin got it all.  We got zero, not a single penny."

The source drew a comparison between the number of permanent junior doctors in SWAH’s Emergency Department to that in Altnagelvin. 
“They have 20.  We are supposed to have around 16.  How many are there? One.  It is just appalling".

A Western Trust spokesperson said: “All hospitals across Northern Ireland experience additional demands and pressures during the winter period. SWAH will continue to provide a range of safe and sustainable acute services to thousands of patients on a daily basis during the challenging winter period. The hospital is part of an integrated network of acute care along with Altnagelvin and Tyrone County Hospitals. We would like to commend all our medical, nursing and support staff who are working tirelessly to care for patients who attend our hospitals. As the busy winter period approaches, we would encourage the public to choose the right service to meet their health and social care need before attending their local Emergency Department for a non-emergency reason.”