Hospital decision makers need to explain their surgery decision

The people of Enniskillen and Fermanagh are quite correct in their belief that the decision to withdraw emergency surgery from the South West Hospital wasn’t taken in their best interests.

Rather it is another example of the Transformation of Health Care in Northern Ireland being introduced by ‘stealth’ by unaccountable and unknown senior health officials within the Department of Health.

The reason given for a such a downgrading of service was an inability to attract general surgeons to work at the Enniskillen Hospital which compromised patient safety and which led to such drastic action.

The South West is Northern Ireland’s newest hospital opened in 2012 to much fanfare promising world class healthcare to the people of Fermanagh.

Fast forward 10 years and let senior health officials explain what is so particular to Enniskillen that general surgeons across the world don’t want to work in such a modern hospital?  What efforts did senior health officials make to recruit general surgeons? What salary and conditions were on offer?

In the absence of a ‘Legal Duty of Candour’ on the part of decision makers the answers to these questions will unlikely be addressed.

I wish the people of Fermanagh and their political representatives every success in protecting their healthcare.

Gerry Cullen, Fermanagh/S.Tyrone Cross Community Labour