Between January 23 and May 9, 81 patients were operated on at the South West Acute Hospital’s (SWAH) Elective Overnight Stay Centre (EOSC).

The first planned surgery was carried out by Professor Mark Taylor on January 23, as announced by the Western Trust’s Chief Executive, Neil Guckian, during a visit to the SWAH that month.

A Western Trust spokesperson said elective operations are carried out in the SWAH theatres five days per week, across surgery, gynae, obstetrics and dental specialties.

However, these figures show that in a five-day week, there are around three elective surgeries carried out during this period.

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“The number of days per week when the EOSC is operational varies, depending on theatres’ capacity, utilisation of theatres by other specialties – such as gynae and dental – and surgeon availability,” the spokesperson explained.

Of the 81 patients who have been operated on at the SWAH’s EOSC, 62 of these have been Western Trust patients, and 19 have been patients originating from the Southern, Belfast and South Eastern Trust areas.

The Western Trust was asked if they received any payments from other Trusts if their patients are operated on in the SWAH.

They confirmed this was not the case, as the EOSC is part of a network providing elective surgery across the region.

The EOSC operating lists in January were modelled as a ‘Test of Change’. These patients were all Western Trust patients.

Patients were selected for lists after the end of January based on longest waiting patients, clinical priority, a willingness to travel, and suitability for surgery in the EOSC.

“Since January, 2023, the Western Trust has been incrementally building the capacity for elective operating lists in SWAH theatres, with a plan to deliver five EOSC theatre sessions per week by the end of June, alongside five gynae and five core day case sessions.

“The number of patients which can be booked to each of these five EOSC sessions will depend on the nature/complexity of the surgery that is being undertaken,” the spokesperson concluded.