Voices from the Floor: ‘We should look to see the HSE stood down, they need to be gone’

Noeleen Donoghue, Secretary, Save Navan Hospital Committee who works at the hospital: “We’re here for the most important piece of infrastructure in Meath, our local hospital. There is no point in basing the removal of A&E in Navan on past statistics and figures. These are long out of date. There is also no point in the Hse saying that lives will be lost and that it is unsafe. The move they want to make is more dangerous to the patients of the county. They will be forced to pill up on trolleys in already-overcrowded A&E department in Drogheda, Dublin, Blanchardstown. This is not in the interest of patient safety. I appeal to the Minister for Health to invest in Navan A&E and keep our doors open 24/7”.

Sinn Fein TD Johnny Guirke: “I think the campaign got the best boost for a very long time with the letter from 17 consultants in Drogheda because whenever we went on radio or the newspapers it was always ‘listen to the experts’. We are no experts but it took a long time I do believe this decision will be reversed but it is going to need thousands of people on the streets on 9th of July”.

Unidentified man: “I had a quadruple bypass. I wouldn’t be here but for the Navan A&E. The only thing I want to say is, if the Hse had the same interest in jobs than they do in the bank accounts we would have a great health service.”

Independent Cllr Alan Lawes: “The Hse is established since 2005 and it came into power supposedly to make things better and if you look around the whole health service you will see it’s an absolute shambles. We should look to see the Hse stood down, they need to be gone. We’re bringing Paul Reid into the Hse to be an apologist for government. I worked in the health service since 1983 and it’s gradually got worse. You [Government TDs] should stand up and say you will resign from government is the A&E in Navan is closed.”

Independent Cllr Gillian Toole and community pharmacist: “Do we know what future investment will be made in the National Ambulance Service? What investment will be made, human or otherwise, in Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, in Connolly Hospital and the Mater because if they can’t cope financially, and with human beings to manage the deluge of patients that will present at their doorways, then we are making a bad situation worse. A possible solution, as well as the much-needed investment, and the continued service from Navan, is to use the community pharmacy network. It is well used at the weekends. There are approximately 40 pharmacies in Co Meath, well regulated and with well trained people. It is a service open nine hours a day, six ays a week.”

John Regan, Siptu official: “The local managers of the Hse were not even aware that this change was coming. So it goes to show you how dysfunctional this Hse is. At ground level for the last week you can see the Minister and the CEO of the Hse are throwing each other under the bus many times. We are being looked at as aliens by the Hse. Now is the time to put the Hse to sleep and get a proper service.”

Sinn Fein TD Darren O’Rourke: “The Hse had up to 13th of June to bring a proposal. The proposal they brought, and clear now from the 17 brave consultants at Drogheda, will make matters worse. The medical assessment unit which is intended to replace the A&E service at Navan will not be accessible. Drogheda does not have the capacity to deal with the numbers who will present here.

Officials of the Hse were told to go out and sell this plan that would make matters worse for the people of Meath.”

Bala, a member of the Nigerian community who grew up in Navan: “The emergency department issue is a life or death issue. I would like to acknowledge the repercussions of closing the A&E which has short-term and long-term implications. We live in a town that needs an efficient health service that families can depend on. “

Carmel McDonnell: “I am very passionate about our health services nationwide, not just Navan. As our Tds will know I have been talking about health service capacity for years. Minister James Reilly stood on a platform and Navan and said he would provide a new hospital in Navan. That hospital was recommended in 2008 and my question is, where is the hospital we were promised? I am also a practical person and I know things don’t happen overnight but we are talking decades. The problem at Navan has evolved over decades. How can anybody envisage that a county 2,342 square miles wide can end up with no A&E service, no safety next?.”

Unidentified man: “That hospital there [Navan] saved my life.”

Unidentified woman: “I don’t have any political affiliations, I just live in Navan and I’m passionate about the hospital. We have to remain united, we have to work together. We can’t use it as a political football just to gain votes. If we are told the A&E is unsafe we have to make it better. I am confused – the Hse says it has the legal right to close the A&E, the Minister said ‘no’. So is it closing or not?”

Dr Seamus McMenamin: “They’re talking about downgrading Navan A&E. It has already happened. They’ve taken out surgery. They’ve done their best to make is unsafe for them to use that as an excuse. They did the same in Monaghan – they made it unsafe. If you talk to any of those doctors and ask them if this has made their patients safer they won’t say yes. We need to get the politicians to change the poliy and we need to make investment in the A&E. I don’t accept the premise that we continue as we are or that we reconfigure and if we assert our power it won’t happen.”