A Fermanagh South Tyrone MLA recounted witnessing people laying on the floor in SWAH hallways waiting for treatment.
After the visit, Mr. Elliott told The Impartial Reporter what he saw and heard.
“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).
“When we were in the ED, people were literally lying on the floor in the corridors, so it was an experience.”
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.
An All Party Group toured the SWAH with local UUP MLA Tom Elliott.
They should also strive for more elective care, especially overnight elective care.
The Western’s Trust Chief Executive Neil Guckian, Deputy Medical Director Professor Ronan O’Hare, and Director of Planned Care Services Mark Gillespie visited a variety of wards with the All Party Group from Fermanagh and West Tyrone.
The panel heard that the hospital had one of its busiest times ever, with 9,153 patients treated in the ED in the first three months, more than 29,000 outpatient appointments, and more than 540 people operated on.
“Excellent 24/7 access the SWAH ED has to diagnostics,” an ED expert told the All-Party Group.
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.
“Our doctors and nurses work with highly skilled nurses to treat and care for patients with various acuities.”
“They were happy to travel to the SWAH to receive their surgery and treatment and had received excellent care,” the panel said after listening to patients from across Northern Ireland.
“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,” said Mr. Guckian, who founded the group.
Our workforce needed to voice their opinions to their public officials.
“The All Party Group also heard about the creation of a new SWAH Strategic Development Group, made up of stakeholders, to look at ways to consolidate and grow the hospital.
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 and allow a more clinical view on things.”
