Trust ‘insulted us and told us a pack of lies about SWAH’: Fr Brian

That was the key message struck by Chairperson Reggie Ferguson as he welcomed local politicians to a meeting in Enniskillen last week to discuss the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH).

It was attended by Ulster Unionist Tom Elliott, Democratic Unionist Deborah Erskine and councillors Adam Gannon of the SDLP, Sinn Féin’s Debbie Coyle, and Eddie Roofe of Alliance.

Outlining the background, Mr. Ferguson said the group “were as determined now as they were 12 months ago” when they first came together to call on the Western Health and Social Care Trust to reverse its decision to remove emergency surgery from the hospital.

Mr. Ferguson said it was a very important meeting as it gave those in attendance a chance to ask the politicians what they have done to highlight concerns over the past 12 months.

“It is your vote that has put them there, and while we are grateful that they are here, your vote can also remove them if they don’t do what you say.

“There would be no harm in getting a little more demanding of your politicians and demanding of your public institutions that are supposed to serve you.

“It would no harm at all if the politicians could get a bit angrier about the situation and the public institutions that are supposed to serve you,” he said.

Mr. Ferguson suggested that politicians “should call for the resignations of public servants who are sitting there ignoring you, taking their big salary, and sitting smugly because they think they are untouchable.”

Councillor Debbie Coyle (SF), who works in the SWAH, said she was Chairwoman of the Health and Social Care Committee and they met with the Trust to discuss the issue.

“As a party, we had asked the Trust as a matter of urgency for a detailed timeframe plan on how they are going around to recruit and retain consultant surgeons in our hospital.”

DUP MLA Deborah Erskine said she had met the SOAS group and made sure her party leader, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, who is currently refusing to return to Stormont in a row over a post-Brexit deal, “was kept abreast of what was happening in Fermanagh”.

She said she was engaging with the Department of Health’s Permanent Secretary as well as the Trust.

Councillor Adam Gannon, SDLP, said it was his party colleague, Paul Blake, who brought forward the information when this story broke last year and challenged the Trust.

“It turned out that everything the SDLP said was going to happen happened,” he said.

Councillor Gannon said he called out the Trust when they misled people and said he and his colleagues had been threatened with legal action because they did not like being called out.

“Nothing came of it because we were right, and we were keeping them honest,” he claimed.

Alliance Councillor Eddie Roofe said he had only been elected last May, but had been working and his party had allowed him to be part of the response that was “rightly critical of the Trust’s recruitment process and the years before the suspension of the services”.

UUP MLA Tom Elliott said they had to be “blunt about it” as emergency surgery was withdrawn 12 months ago and was not reintroduced. He said he had challenged the Trust but the services had not come back.

Mr. Elliott said they needed more pressure not just from politicians “but from everyone”.

He said he “seriously questioned the attempts at recruitment of surgeons to the SWAH”.

When Councillor Coyle said this issue “was not the main issue in the election or [that] came through their constituency doors”, she drew a few howls of protest from the crowd.

She said it was important to “keep in communication” with the Trust.

Councillor Gannon pointed out that the Council has no power in relation to the Trust.

Ms. Erskine said if people were calling for resignations, “who do they put in their places?”

A question from the audience asked why the parties had not spoken out against the decision to remove the services.

Councillor Gannon said he had spoken out and a representative of the Trust had contacted his party leader about his stance, but claimed they were “told where to go”.

An audience member was warmly applauded when she claimed: “There was a real lack of urgency among politicians”.

She continued: “We already hear that you should not have maternity services without a general surgeon in the event of complications taking place. We are being failed again and the people of Fermanagh and South Tyrone demand of our politicians a recognition for the equality of care provision.”

She added: “There is no point in saying we agree with you, but you politicians do have the power so that when we go back into these services will be restored immediately.”

A boy with autism was applauded as he relayed how he had to wait for hours for an ambulance and had to move hospitals. “I was really scared when I was waiting,” he said.

Councillor Roofe told the meeting that the only person who could reverse the decision to remove emergency surgery services was the Minister for Health.

Mr. Elliott said the only people who have the power now to make a change is the Trust “whether we like it or not”.

He proposed that they call the Trust Board to a meeting in Enniskillen to “confront them directly” about the issues.

Fr. Brian D’Arcy said he had been dealing with the Trust and “cannot take their word for anything”, claiming they “insulted us and told us lies”.