Surgeon wants to ‘dial down’ fears over suspension of some services at SWAH

The director of Northern Ireland's Royal College of Surgeons said it had become necessary to "dial down" the fears of the local community, saying that most patients would not be impacted by the change.

Professor Mark Taylor said that while the people of Fermanagh have “every right to be anxious,” the SWAH is retaining its acute hospital status and retaining its emergency department.

The Western Trust said the suspension was necessary to protect the public's safety after it had problems recruiting surgical staff.

Speaking to the BBC’s Sunday Politics programme, Prof Taylor said there was an issue around consultant surgeons not wanting to work in SWAH.

He said: "In general surgical true emergencies – appendicitis, a bowel obstruction – the time is not imminent, it's not seconds or minutes.

"Quite often throughout Northern Ireland it is several hours before you get to theatre without any harm or consequence.”

Prof Taylor added: "I think we've got to dial down the noise to suggest fear to the people of Fermanagh."

Also appearing on the programme, DUP MLA Deborah Erskine said she was concerned by how the removal of general surgery had been messaged to the public.

"People are angry, frustrated, they're worried, they're concerned. As a public representative I do share concerns... what I want to see is the best outcomes for patients and staff," she said.