Recent statements by Health Minister Shaun Woodward have made it clear that he wants to backtrack on initial promises that Fermanagh would get a new acute hospital.

If he gets away with it, in a few years time there would be no acute hospital in all of counties Fermanagh and Tyrone. Instead Fermanagh would be covered by Craigavon Hospital and Tyrone by Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry.

Woodward's statements indicated that there would be new hospitals in both counties but neither would offer the full range of services necessary for an acute hospital (emergency medicine and surgery, an intensive care unit, a 24-hour accident and emergency department, and a maternity unit).

The people of Fermanagh were promised an acute hospital and thought that the arguments were over. Unfortunately some years ago the government had successfully turned the argument into one between Enniskillen and Omagh as to which town was the best place to site a new acute hospital. The "official" campaign in each town, backed by the local councils and all the main political parties, made its case in opposition to the case made by its "rival".

They accepted the government's argument that only one town could be the winner. Now we see the outcome - both towns could end up losers.

The Socialist Party in Enniskillen and in Omagh, and the best hospital campaigners in both towns (especially the HOPE campaign in Omagh), always fought for a united campaign. A united campaign would have put the government on the back foot. Division between the campaigns allowed the government the initiative.

The arguments in favour of two acute hospitals are clear. The closure of one rural hospital after another has to stop. In Scotland a recent report has at last recognised that centralisation is not always a good thing. Northern Ireland cannot be adequately served by a handful of super-hospitals.

Even now the campaigns must come together. A conference of campaigners from both towns must be convened immediately to plan the way forward. A militant campaign, that could include simultaneous demonstrations in both towns, needs to once again take to the streets to ensure that there is no backsliding from Shaun Woodward (more about him here) over Fermanagh and that the case for an acute hospital in Omagh is put firmly back on the agenda.

On 1 July members of the Socialist Party and Socialist Youth joined T&GWU activists in a picket of Provincial Care Services on the Ravenhill Road in Belfast.

The protest was over the company's disgraceful treatment of two Polish nurses who recently arrived in Northern Ireland. When the nurses asked questions about their long hours and low rates of pay the company unilaterally booked them on flights back to Poland - in effect the company was trying to deport them.

Provincial Care provide staff for a number of local health Trusts. In this case the nurses were working indirectly for Newry and Mourne Trust. This issue highlights the conditions of modern day slavery facing migrant workers. This case has been exposed by T&GWU activists. Unfortunately the trade union movement is largely turning a blind eye to what is happening under their noses. A real and urgent campaign to end this exploitation should be launched by the trade unions.