Govt look for ways to pay for regional hospital

Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey was urged to redouble his efforts to secure the regional hospital for Navan through a public private partnership when he attended a special meeting of Meath County Council last week. Leas cathaoirleach, Cllr Shane Cassells, urged the minister to do all he could to ensure the new hospital is built and pointed out that the council had played its role in identifying a site. The minister told the meeting that he had supported the Teamwork report when it first came out because of its move towards a regional hospital in Navan. He said he was still committed to the regional hospital but he could not give a timetable for it. He revealed he had been trying to look at innovative ways to finance it though public-private partnerships and these efforts would continue. The minister said his aim was for the people of this county to have the best possible service and get the best possible outcomes. He pointed out that moving acute surgery to Drogheda had been part of the Teamwork plan, but the timelines had changed, there had been a lack of communication and things had happened very suddenly, creating fear and uncertainty. He said he had met with the HSE some weeks back and they had a “robust discussion”. They had told him there had been leaks to the press before they had a chance to talk to people. He said the HSE had told him they were not trying to close Navan Hospital and their priority was to keep patients safe. He said he had also met with the consultants who had outlined the knock-on effects removing surgery would have on other services, but the HSE had told him there would be no so-called domino effect and cited examples such as Loughlinstown, where there was no acute surgery. Cllr Suzanne Jamal said there was anger and frustration in the community following the snap overnight decision by the HSE. She said that Minister Harney had admitted it was a money-saving exercise and no reports say that standards in Our Lady’s were any less than in any other hospital. Cllr Bryan Reilly said there was fear in the county that the hospital would close. People wanted the hospital to remain open until the new regional hospital is provided because hospitals like the Mater, Cavan and Drogheda cannot cope. Cllr Maria Murphy said Meath needed a local service. Her husband was from Monaghan and she saw services there being removed bit by bit and she didn’t want to see that happening in Navan. Cllr Nick Killian said the regional health forum had met with the clinical director of the HSE, but all they had got was “bluster”. He said that staff in Drogheda had been feeling the pressure from this decision and asked how could the HSE ask people from Castlejordan and Ballinabrackey travel to the Lourdes Hospital for treatment. Cllr Oliver Fox said it was a hell of a trip from north Meath to Drogheda and there was a general feeling that the public were being bluffed on the issue and there was a lack of clarity. Cllr Wayne Harding was angry at the way the news had been broken to staff of Our Lady’s.