A campaign group has called on local political representatives to support its demand for a roadmap to restore surgery services at South West Acute Hospital (SWAH).

The Save Our Acute Services (SOAS) group has urged politicians and in particular, health minister Mike Nesbitt, to rally behind the cause of reinstating emergency general surgery at the hospital.

The service was halted in December 2022 by Western Health and Social Care Trust, resulting in 83,343 residents in Fermanagh and South Tyrone being an average of almost two hours away from critical surgical interventions.

SOAS spokesperson, Donal O’Cofaigh, said: "Our campaign has fought for the restoration of emergency surgery at SWAH for coming up to two years now.

"Our campaign members secured 30,168 signatures from across our community backing the SOAS five-point plan which we developed in conjunction with former surgical consultants and medical professionals to provide a roadmap for the restoration of surgery at SWAH.

"We have spoken to hundreds of families who have suffered significantly due to this unsafe inadequate provision.

"We need to see urgent action to reverse this.

"That’s why we need a roadmap and to build services so that it is a sustainable restoration not a return to continued crisis."