Councillors grill HSE chiefs over Navan ED plans
Councillors are this afternoon grilling HSE chiefs over their proposal to close Navan's Emergency Department and replace it with a Medical Assessment Unit and 12 hour Local Injuries Unit.
The meeting is still in progress, but signs are not good for the future of the Navan ED.
Councillors were angry as it seems clear from the meeting that HSE management were not for rolling back on their plan to cut emergency services in Navan.
Councillors expressed anger to management that nothing has come of the original HSE proposals to locate a new regional Hospital in Navan.
The message from the HSE was that the ED in Navan is unsafe and there is difficulty recruiting junior doctors for or Lady's Hospital because it doesn't have the personnel to train them properly.
Councillors were told that in the case of somebody having a heart attack the paramedic would stabilise them and have everything in place for medical staff when they arrived at the Mater or Drogheda hospitals.
Meanwhile up to ten thousand people are expected to take to the streets of Navan on Saturday to demand the retention of the Emergency Department at Our Lady's Hospital.
Just as they did in October last year, and back in 2010, the people of Meath are expected to give a massive show of strength in support of the hospital.
As the Save Navan Hospital Campaign prepares for Saturday's protest, medics, politicians and health officials remain divided over the HSE's proposals, but last week's public meeting of the Save Navan Hospital Campaign showed huge public anger at the HSE's proposals for the hospital.
The Save Navan Hospital campaign chairman, Peadar Toibin says he has seen a document which shows that between 37 and 47 patients every day, who would currently attend Navan ED would have to attend Drogheda if the Navan facility is closed.
This stands in stark contrast to the four or five patients HSE management says will be diverted to Drogheda.
Last week 17 consultants at Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda warned in a letter to the Health Minister that plans to close the Emergency Department at Navan will lead to poorer outcomes for patients.
The letter stated “The transfer of risk from an unsafe ED in Our OLH Navan to an under-resourced OLOH Drogheda will lead to poorer clinical outcomes.”
The hospital's Clinical Lead, Gerry McEntee has warned any delay in implementing the proposed changes would compromise safety. "This change needs to happen in the interests of critically ill patients. Bringing critically ill patients to Navan isn't giving them the best opportunity for survival," he said.
He pointed out that the Drogheda consultants accepted that the Navan ED was unsafe but were concerned about funding for the Drogheda hospital.
Local members of the the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) have also expressed concern over safety at the Emergency Department in Navan. “The ED in Navan cannot adequately provide the sort of specialist care that critically ill patients require. Thus, it is not safe,” they said .
The North East Doctor on Call Service warned of the risk of unnecessary treatment delays for potential stroke and cardiac patients if the Emergency Department in Navan is closed. “We are particularly concerned that potential stroke or cardiac patients will not have direct access to the AMAU and will be required to have a GP referral letter to the AMAU, risking unnecessary delays in their treatment,” said Dr Seamus McMenamin, chair of the out-of hours service.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Stephen Donnelly has been very clear that is no sanction at this time to make changes to the ED at Navan. “Numerous issues must be addressed before any changes to emergency care in Navan would be considered by Government,” he said.
HSE Chief Executive Paul Reid told RTE's this week programme on 26th June that plans to reconfigure the Emergency Department at Our Lady's Hospital Navan would proceed, despite a request from the Minister to put them on hold. He announced his resignation the following day.