Dempsey: HSE hasn't confirmed any closures of Navan wards

The Minister for Transport and local TD Noel Dempsey has said reports that a number of medical wards at Our Lady's Hospital in Navan were to close from next week were not confirmed to him and the county's two other Fianna Fail TDs during a meeting they had with HSE officials "a couple of weeks ago". Intensive speculation has mounted this week around the reports which suggested that up to six wards at the hospital could close. The HSE said on Monday that it would discuss any changes to services with staff in the first instance, "therefore we are unable to make any comment at this time". The Meath Chronicle asked the HSE if it would be updating this statement in view of the anxiety and apprehension among staff at Our Lady's. The HSE was considering this further query yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon. The minister said he did not know the source of reports that the HSE was about to close wards. "We (Minister Dempsey, Deputy Mary Wallace and Deputy Thomas Byrne) met the HSE a couple of weeks ago. They said that it (the possible closure of medical wards) was untrue and that this was not the intent," he said. He said they had been told that protocols were in place to ensure "that if you did not have surgical, you would still have the medical facilities" in place at the hospital. Mr Dempsey said there was a general fear that some people had that if surgical services at the hospital were removed, it would follow that medical facilities would follow. However, the minister said that, at a further meeting betwewen the Fianna Fail deputies and consultants from the Navan hospital and the Louth-Meath group of hospitals on Monday of this week, there had been no mention by the consultants that medical services might be removed. He said that a briefing given by the hospital consultants to Meath Fine Gael TDs recently was followed by a similar meeting with FF TDs. He said the consultants had put their case to them on a number of issues. "They expressed concern to us, for instance, about the way announcements are being made by the HSE and the way things were being done in the north-east. They had also spoken about the way the HSE is doing its business and the lack of consultation," he added. Mr Dempsey went on: "A number of issues were raised which need clarification, as far as they were concerned, by the HSE in regard to a number of decisions that were taken. We took to undertook to raise issues and seek clarification on them from the HSE." Meanwhile, the chairperson of the Save Navan Hospital Campaign and Deputy Mayor of Navan, Peadar Tóibin, said there were reports circulating that further cuts would be made to medical services at Our Lady's. "These cuts are in addition to the ones that have already been made to surgery at the start of September. So far, the HSE are refusing to deny these new cuts. If they go ahead, Navan Hospital, as we know it, will be finished," he predicted. He called on Deputy Johnny Brady "to do what FF TDs are doing in other parts of the country and declare that his support for the Government will be withdrawn unless these hospital cuts are reversed". The hospital campaign committee has anounced that a 'monster rally' in support of the Navan hospital will be held on Saturday 30th October. It said the rally will be a family friendly carnival which would "have the feel of recent St Patrick's Day parades but will have a serious message for the HSE". He said the committee expected that thousands of people would turn out with floats, displays and Halloween fancy dress. The campiagn also intends to take office space which will be staffed with volunteers in order to co-ordinate the campaign. A number of fundraisers are being organised to pay for expenses and the campaign is actively seeking donations from businesses and individuals throughout the county, he added. Branches of the Save Navan Hospital campaign are to be set up in towns, villages and housing estates throughout the county, the organisation said.