The Department of Health (DoH) has rejected a call from a local campaign group for an Independent Public Inquiry into the Western Trust’s decision to withdraw emergency general surgery at the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH), the circumstances that led to the decision, and the Trust’s handling of the situation since the decision.

The Save Our Acute Services (SOAS) campaign group sent a letter to the Permanent Secretary of the DoH on April 19, requesting the inquiry.

In response, they received correspondence back from the Department’s Elective Care and Cancer Policy Directorate on April 27.

The letter stated the Western Trust has adhered to the Department of Health Circular, ‘Change or Withdrawal of Services’, which specifies that temporary changes are necessary “to protect public health and/or safety”.

READ MORE: SWAH's elective hub operated on 81 patients since January

The letter continued: “The decision to temporarily suspend emergency general surgery services [at the SWAH] was made by the Trust in line with the circular and was supported by the Department.

“The mitigations put in place by the Trust continued to be closely monitored by the Department, and the Department is working closely with the Trust to develop a sustainable model for the delivery of General Surgery in line with the Review of General Surgery published in June, 2022.”

Continuing, the letter said the temporary suspension of emergency general surgery had been subject to a public consultation which closed on April 9, and the outcome of the consultation process will be considered by the Western Trust, and that any permanent decision on emergency general surgery will require approval from the Department and Health Minister.

“As such, the Trust’s actions in relation to emergency general surgery at the SWAH do not warrant the need for a public inquiry,” the letter concluded.

However, a SOAS spokesperson rejected the Department’s view, saying: “SOAS believes that patient safety risks associated with extra time to treatment have been ignored by [the Western Trust].

“No proper risk assessment of their decision to suspend surgical services at the SWAH has ever been completed.

“We mirrored the call from Fermanagh and Omagh District Council to the Department of Health for a fully independent inquiry to examine all aspects of and impacts from the suspension of surgery.”

Fermanagh and Omagh District Council councillors unanimously called for the inquiry in the last full Council meeting on April 4.

The Council were contacted to see if correspondence had been sent to the Department, and if a response had been received on it.

A Council spokesperson said: “At the Council meeting on April 4, it was resolved that ‘The Council makes representations to the Permanent Secretary, Department of Health and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to ask them to establish, as a matter of urgency, a fully independent Public Inquiry regarding the Western Trust’s decision to withdraw Emergency General Surgical Services at the South West Acute Hospital, the circumstances which led to this decision, and the Trust’s handling of all subsequent actions which have flowed from this decision’.

“In accordance with the above resolution, letters were issued to the Department of Health and the Secretary of State.

“Responses to the letters have been received from both the Department of Health and the Secretary of State and these will be reported at the next full Council meeting following the Local Government Elections.

“This is currently scheduled to take place on June 6; however, is subject to change.”

A SOAS spokesperson added: “We are further disappointed to see that our request – which was sent to the Office of the Permanent Secretary – was responded to by the Elective Care [and Cancer Policy] Directorate.

“The valid concerns of the people of Fermanagh relate to Urgent and Emergency Care and risks of poorer outcomes from the extra travel being forced on us.

“Yet, both [the Western Trust] and the Department are totally focused on Elective Care and waiting lists, to the detriment of our local population.

“This is simply not good enough and must be challenged.

“The SWAH can play its part in changes to how elective care is managed across Northern Ireland – but our primary concern is to ensure that we have safe and timely equal access to urgent and emergency care. We cannot be treated as second-class citizens.

“The Department of Health has now stated that the actions of the Western Trust do not warrant the need for a public inquiry.

“SOAS does not agree with this conclusion and call on the Department to reconsider.”