The Western Health and Social Care Trust has deemed a proposal for the Henry Reeve Brigade of Cuban doctors to help at South West Acute Hospital (SWAH) as “not appropriate”.

It was however pointed out the Western Trust had successfully attracted 209 consultants through their International Medical Recruitment Programme by the end of March 2023, of which 86 went to SWAH.

Councillor Sheamus Greene, Sinn Fein raised the issue during a meeting of Fermanagh and Omagh District Council Policy and Resources Committee, enquiring if there was any update on the previously agreed proposal for the Western Trust to ask Cuban doctors to assist with the current emergency surgery crisis.

He said: “There was a large expectation that a number of doctors were coming through this format and I wouldn’t like anyone to accuse us at a later stage of not pursuing this. I’m anxious it is kept on the agenda and we do get regular updates on how it’s actually going.”

Chief Executive Alison McCullagh advised following a meeting between the council, Western Trust and the Cuban Embassy; “Matters were left with the Trust’s Head of International Recruitment, who shared the information about how any foreign national would engage with health recruitment. That was shared with the Cuban Embassy who indicated their willingness to remain involved and engaged. We’ve heard nothing further from either party since.”

Councillor Greene proposed this is followed up by writing to both parties to establish if there have been any further developments.

This was seconded by party colleague Councillor Debbie Coyle and unanimously agreed.

When contacted after the meeting a spokesperson for the Western Trust said it met with: “A Counsellor of the Cuban Embassy to the UK at a meeting convened by Fermanagh and Omagh District Council on  April 5, 2023.

“The Trust emphasised that the Henry Reeves Brigade was not appropriate in respect of the workforce position at SWAH. The Trust temporarily stood down Emergency General Surgery at SWAH in December 2022 due to challenges recruiting general surgeons to cover the emergency general surgical rota. It was clearly stated by both the Trust and the Cuban Embassy representative that the Henry Reeves Brigade intervene to help in natural disasters, etc. which this is not.

“The Trust highlighted the established and successful work carried out in the Trust’s International Medical Recruitment Programme in attracting 209 international medical consultants to the Trust, 86 to SWAH, up to the end of March 2023. The team highlighted the standards required, including that any appointee must have GMC registration with a licence to practice in the UK, and the processes that international recruitment involves. It was also highlighted by both parties that this would take time to go through this process. Therefore, it was agreed that appropriate links would be made between the Trust’s well established International Recruitment Programme team and Cuban Medical Services to explore and consider the viability of this moving forward.”

The spokesperson concluded: “As agreed, the Trust provided the Cuban Embassy with a brief on the International Recruitment Programme for information and with details of the process, levels and standards which are required to be met to recruit through this programme on April 18, 2023. A meeting date is to be confirmed by the Cuban Medical Services company once they have reviewed this information and to have further discussions on the matter.”