A proposal for Fermanagh and Omagh Council to lead the charge against the neonatal crisis at South West Acute Hospital (SWAH) has passed unanimously.

Independent Councillor Donal O’Cofaigh raised the issue at last month’s council meeting after which correspondence was sent to the Western Trust Chief Executive Neil Guckian.

His reply confirmed the Trust is commissioned to provide six special care cots at SWAH, but several experienced neonatal nurses have either retired or left, leaving the unit struggling to provide the appropriate level of staffing.

Mr. Guckian said management work tirelessly to try to attract new staff with the appropriate skills and training, but only successfully employed one nurse meeting the criteria.

In November, the Trust recognised patient safety was a concern and moved to providing an emergency stabilisation and transfer out service for babies born in SWAH who require a higher level of neonatal care.

Councillor O’Cofaigh said: “We now face extended and protracted suspension of the neonatal unit in SWAH, with obvious implications for the sustainability of maternity services and by extension, other departments, therefore the acute status of the hospital as whole.”

He disclosed babies who should have gone to SWAH were transferred: “Not just to Altnagelvin or Craigavon, but to Dublin. That’s the scale of failure around recruitment and retention of staff. I’ve had ping-pong emails going back 18 months, identifying very specific instances of recruitment of SWAH neonatal staff that has different requirements to other hospitals.”

Councillor O’Cofaigh proposed writing to the Minister for Health. Robin Swann MLA: “As the obligation rests with his department to provide basic medical facilities for babies. We should set up a group within this council to initiate a campaign. We need to fight and if we don’t, what are we doing as a council?”

Seconding this Councillor Siobhan Currie, Sinn Fein was also perturbed at Mr. Guckian’s response stating: “It isn’t just neonatal services, although the biggest concern is about these babies, their families and the extraordinary pressure put on them. The last thing they need is running all over Ireland. This really matters in terms of the viability of our hospital. We need urgent engagement with the Minister. It’s at his door and I can’t overstate how extremely concerning this is. A neonatal campaign will not be driven by the babies and we need to stand up as a community. We really need action.”

Chief Executive Alison McCullagh advised the previous Omagh District Council  had a very active role in “coordinating, facilitating and mobilising” community support.

She added: “There would be similar scope for council to corporately take on such a mantle … essentially ensuring we have community contacts and the wider health network.”

Councillor Adam Gannon SDLP stated: “Retirement doesn’t just sneak up on you. It’s known to be coming and I question appropriate workplace planning. Retirements have been and gone and recruitment hasn’t happened.”

In respect of staff leaving as opposed to retiring, Councillor Gannon queried if this was linked to the Western Trust’s inability to recruit.

“That needs to be addressed otherwise the problem won’t be fixed,” he added. “There are two staff leaving in March … But there’s been no commitment to timeframes or telling us plans are. It is incredibly worrying for the future.”

Independent Councillor Emmet McAleer said: “We are seeing failure in the upper echelons, no doubt driven by the Tory government in their push to privatise the NHS. Patients and frontline staff are the ones who suffer. We need to fight this tooth and nail.”

Independent Councillor Josephine Deehan told members; “As a council we need to be concerned around the sustainability of acute services at SWAH. It’s hugely disappointing we are yet again facing services being withdrawn owing to lack of workforce.”

Concluding, Councillor Eamon Keenan, Independent said: “It’s no coincidence the Trust’s Pathfinder meetings included a plan to close the SWAH neonatal unit. It’s typical neo-liberal strategy to strip away services. It’s not accidental. But people aren’t stupid. We’ve seen through it and we need to fight.”