A Fermanagh South Tyrone MLA has described the experience of seeing patients lying on the floor in corridors waiting for treatment at the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH).

Tom Elliott, a UUP MLA for the area, visited the SWAH as part of an All Party Group visit recently.

Speaking to The Impartial Reporter following the visit, Mr. Elliott described some of what he had seen and heard on the visit.

He said: “We got meeting some of the staff and the consultants and hearing their different views, but the one thing you do realise is the amount of pressure that they are under, with patient flow and the non-flowing of patients, because there are blockages that are causing real problems within the Emergency Department (ED).

“That day we were up at the ED, the people were literally lying on the floor in the corridors, so it was an experience.”

Speaking about the ongoing situation where emergency general surgery is suspended from the SWAH, Mr. Elliott said: “There is a responsibility on the Western Trust to press to get emergency general surgery back (at the SWAH); it was taken away against the will of the public and the people of Fermanagh, and they do need to make every effort.

“They also need to make every effort to get more elective care and particularly overnight elective care.”

The All Party Group, which comprised public representatives from across Fermanagh and West Tyrone, were joined by the Western’s Trust Chief Executive Neil Guckian; Deputy Medical Director, Professor Ronan O’Hare; and Mark Gillespie, Director of Planned Care Services on their recent visit to the hospital and visited a range of wards of services.

The group heard how the hospital has experienced one of its busiest periods ever, with 9,153 patients being treated in the ED in the first three months of the year, with more than 29,000 out patient appointments having taken place, and more than 540 patients being operated on at the hospital.

Speaking with one of the ED consultants, the All-Party Group were informed of the “excellent 24/7 access the SWAH ED has to diagnostics”.

The consultant added: “This is the best ED I have worked in and I have no doubt it is one of the best on the island of Ireland.

“We have highly-skilled nurses working alongside our doctors and nurses, treating and caring for patients with a range of acuities.”

The group also took time to listen to patients and met with several who had travelled from throughout Northern Ireland to the hospital, stating “they were happy to travel to the SWAH to receive their surgery and treatment and had received excellent care”.

Mr. Guckian, who set up the All Party Group, said: “We are delighted to have had the SWAH All Party [Group] meet our incredible staff at the SWAH and to see for themselves the first-class services that our staff provide to our patients and clients.

“It was also very important for our staff to have the opportunity to share their views with their public representatives.

“The All Party Group also heard about the establishment of a new SWAH Strategic Development Group which will be formed from a range of stakeholders to look at ways of consolidating and growing the hospital into the future.

Speaking about what he understands the Strategic Development Group will entail, Mr Elliott said:“As far as the development group goes, it was mentioned that they are trying to bring clinical experts along with public reps togethers so that people can be kept up to date with what’s happening and allow a more clinical view on things.”