HEALTH Minister Michelle O’Neill has revealed that 696 patients have been transferred from the South West Acute Hospital to other hospitals across Northern Ireland in the last 12 months.

Minister O’Neill told SDLP Fermanagh-south Tyrone MLA Richie McPhillips that 479 of those patients were moved from the medical ward, 186 from surgical and 31 from paediatric.

Speaking to Stormont Files this week, Mr. McPhillips described the figures as “shocking” stating that they “only go to underscore the lack of acute care provision available in Fermanagh.”

“South West Acute Hospital was meant to be a sea-change for the local service delivery and was meant to provide a consistent and high quality service. But there’s now seemingly more people transferred from the South West Acute hospital than actually treated in it.

“Worryingly, even emergency cases are being transferred to Altnagelvin or Craigavon because South West Acute Hospital is unable to treat them. While in relation to elective care, elderly and vulnerable patients are having to travel as far as Ballykelly for treatment, sometimes having to rely on public transport. In 2016, this simply cannot be acceptable,” he said.