PATIENTS and hospital staff have been urged to tell their story as part of a review into the loss of Emergency General Surgery (EGS) at the South West Acute Hospital (SWAH).

On Thursday last, health campaign group, Save Our Acute Services (SOAS) held a public meeting in Fermanagh House in support of a review from the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA).

Described as a "vital opportunity", the review specifically looks at both the direct and indirect impacts of the removal of EGS at the SWAH.

"This is vital - I can't get that across strongly enough," said SOAS campaigner Donal O'Cofaigh.

"We, as a community, need to make sure that we get the evidence that they [the RQIA] cannot deny, so that they do something for our hospital services."

Mr. O'Cofaigh described how in recent months, the group has been "piling on the pressure" to the regulator, which "evidenced the scale and impact" of the removal of EGS locally.

The meeting also heard how the group had submitted 131 pages of "specific evidence" to the regulator, which prompted the “unprecedented” review.

SOAS campaigner Jimmy Hamill said that the fact that RQIA is holding a review showed that "[they are] listening to our community”, and added that the regulator regards SOAS as a "trusted source".

"When it comes to the regulator getting evidence, that has to come from you directly," said Mr. Hamill, directly addressing the audience.

"It's important to bring your story, and it's also important to note that the review covers both the direct and indirect impacts.

"The key word here is 'opportunity'. This is your opportunity to give your story."

Mr. Hamill then told the meeting that the removal of EGS has had an impact on local patients, especially when it comes to travel time.

NHS guidance states that one hour is the "maximum travel time for clinical safety reasons" within emergency care.

However, travel time from the SWAH to the nearest A&E in Altnagelvin is one hour and 24 minutes by car.

"We feel that [this guidance] speaks for itself," said Mr. Hamill. "They [The Department of Health] cannot provide that for us without bringing surgery back to the SWAH."

He added that following the removal of EGS in 2022, Fermanagh is the only area in Northern Ireland that is not within 60 minutes' reach of emergency surgery.

"No solution they can come up with leaves us in the same safe position that everyone else in Northern Ireland has access to," he continued.

"It's not fair, and it's not safe. We have been trying to make this case."

SOAS Secretary Helen Hamill spoke of the impact that the removal of EGS has had on the nearest A&E service at Altnagelvin.

She illustrated her point with findings from the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (RCEM), which stated that in ED departments there was one additional death for every 72 patients that spent between eight and 12 hours waiting.

"They [patients] won't die because they should have died. They will die because the queue is too long," claimed Mrs. Hamill.

Then, speaking on the removal of EGS at the SWAH, she said: "This should cause us distress. In the time of an accident, when it’s your child versus the bicycle, when it’s a car versus the ditch, that's when you are going to need emergency surgery.

"I don't think anyone will mind driving 50 or 80 miles to get their gallbladder out. But if you have an industrial accident, you need it [emergency surgery] here, and now. Everyone else has it here and now.

“We need to continue to point out why we are unique."

Mrs. Hamill reiterated that the RQIA review was an “opportunity” for people to have their voices heard, adding: "I don't want to sound like the prophet of doom, but it is a case of speak now, or forever hold your peace.

"This is the best opportunity we have. We need to try to encourage people to speak out."