Navan hospital is a centre of excellence

Dear sir - I am writing regarding the closure of some wards/beds and the reduction of services at Our Lady’s Hospital, Navan. It saddened me when I saw the reality of it all on Friday last when I was discharged from the hospital. The unit I was in was being cleared out and would not be used again, it is to become a storage place for linen. Like other patients, Our Lady’s has served me well over the past 23 years since my illness began. I have first hand experience of the medical, surgical, A&E, outpatients, clinics and the ambulance service. To suggest that the standard of care is inadequate is an insult to the highly qualified medical, surgical and orthapaedic teams at the hospital. Our consultants, doctors and nurses are top class and are on a par with the best in the country. I have full confidence in them. It is reassuring and comforting for patients and relatives in this area to have a hospital of this status here in Navan. Many lives have been saved (mine included) and the quality of life has been improved for many here at Our Lady’s. There is talk of building a 'centre of excellence’ in the region. We do not have the infrastructure in place to operate this type of system. If the current closures and reduction of services continue, patients would be expected to travel to inaccessible locations. This causes stress and anxiety for sick people and relatives alike. Patients should be the number one priority, not economics. In reality we do not need a centre of excellence because we already have an excellent centre here in Navan at Our Lady’s Hospital. As a patient there on several occasions, I cannot praise them highly enough. My spiritual needs were catered for too by the local clergy and the Mercy Sisters. I am asking Minister Harney and the HSE to overturn their decision and restore all services to Our Lady’s Hospital as a matter of urgency and let professionals get on with their work. Yours, Oliver Hilliard, Woodlands, Navan.