ULSTER Unionist MP Tom Elliott has claimed services have been “leaching away” from South West Acute Hospital over the last few years.
The Fermanagh-south Tyrone representative has written to Health Minister Michelle O’Neill calling for more elective surgery procedures to be delivered at the “fantastic hospital.”
Mr. Elliott praised hospital staff and said: “When it was being built promises were made that the South West Acute Hospital would be a state of the art hospital that would provide a range of acute and surgical services for the people of Fermanagh and the surrounding south west area. 
“However, as we are all too aware, patients are being referred to other hospitals in Northern Ireland, as South West Acute Hospital cannot cater for the needs. I understand that hospitals specialise in certain medical and surgical areas, and thus South West Acute Hospital needs to able to specialise in a medical field,” he said. 
There are “fantastic” single rooms for patients, state of the art theatre rooms and “brilliant surgeons” said Mr. Elliott, adding: “These need to be fully utilised.”
“There could be potential to bring bariatric/metabolic (weight loss) elective surgery to South West Acute Hospital, and also potentially elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy (gallbladder removal). We need to utilise our hospital to its full potential for the benefit of the people of Fermanagh and the south west.”
In previous years “services have been leaching away from South West Acute Hospital”, claimed Mr. Elliott. “Services should be coming to the hospital instead of disappearing from it.”
“The last thing people want to do is go into hospital for a procedure. But when they have to there is an expectation that the services is of a top quality standard. We have already have the basis of top quality care in the South West Acute Hospital with dedicated staff, both medical and non medical, and top of the range facilities, but that now needs to be complimented with enhanced services including more elective surgery,” he told The Impartial Reporter.