Opposition TDs blast Navan Hospital review terms of reference and HSE 'hell-bent' on closing Emergency Department

Sinn Fein TDs for Meath West, Johnny Guirke, and Meath East, Darren O’Rourke, have criticised the wording of the terms of reference released by the Ireland East Hospital Group relating to Our Lady’s Hospital in Navan.

The deputies claim the terms make no reference to enhancing or "even protecting existing services at Navan Hospital", suggesting that the HSE and Minister for Health remain hell-bent on closing its accident and emergency services.

“I am absolutely shocked that the terms of reference do not state where they will invest, enhance and protect our services at Navan Hospital," said Deputy Guirke.

“Though a working group has now been established, it seems that it is only in place to ensure the planned reconfiguration of services at Navan Hospital will take place.

“Our hospitals are under immense pressure now, staff are overworked and leaving the country.

“A&E waiting times are at their highest in years. Moving patients from Navan to Drogheda will not improve times, it will just make things worse.

“We have three sitting government ministers in County Meath - Thomas Byrne, Helen McEntee, and Damien English - all of whom have played hopscotch when it comes to the future of Our Lady's Hospital.

A 'rapid review' of the reconfiguration planning for Our Lady's Hospital, Navan, established in July, is expected to be completed by a working group “within a few weeks”.

According to the terms of reference for the review, requested by the Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, the National Clinical Lead for Acute Hospitals, Dr Mike O’Connor, and the National Director for Acute Operations, Liam Woods, will “lead a process to provide assurance in relation to the planned reconfiguration of services at Our Lady’s Hospital and to ensure that patient safety and quality assurance are central to any agreed changes.”

A circular issued to stakeholders and the media this morning (Tuesday) by the Ireland East Hospital Group, which includes Navan, states that: “Prior to the confirmation of a date for proposed changes being enacted to services at Our Lady’s Hospital Navan, the working group will oversee a process to review and assess the reconfiguration planning done to date, while addressing any additional requirements including identifying the additional capacity which should be in place ahead of any reconfiguration.”

Minister Donnelly wrote to the board of the HSE requesting a review of a number of key items prior to the reconfiguration of Our Lady's Navan Emergency Department (ED) to a Medical Assessment Unit (MAU) and the transfer of ICU capacity to Our Lady of Lourdes, Drogheda.

“The terms of reference are the final curtain call on the closure of Navan A&E.

“We have seen nothing in this press release to commit to keeping our A&E open, no commitment to putting services in place, only identifying them, and it falls short of committing to putting these in place before their planned reconfiguration.

“The whole process by the HSE and the Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has been wholly unsatisfactory in relation to how they approached the closure of Navan A&E.

“It will take a spectacular challenge by the HSE to deliver more bed capacity and more staff for our hospital and ambulance services while trying to address long waiting times.

“Instead of being railroaded into removing necessary services, we need to see an urgent plan to invest, enhance and address any safety concerns at Our Lady’s Hospital in Navan.”

The review will undertake a fresh look to ensure capacity is in place to meet the additional demands that a reconfiguration may place on services in effective locations.

“The terms of reference are the final curtain call on the closure of Navan A&E.

“We have seen nothing in this press release to commit to keeping our A&E open, no commitment to putting services in place, only identifying them, and it falls short of committing to putting these in place before their planned reconfiguration.

“The whole process by the HSE and the Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly has been wholly unsatisfactory in relation to how they approached the closure of Navan A&E.

“It will take a spectacular challenge by the HSE to deliver more bed capacity and more staff for our hospital and ambulance services while trying to address long waiting times.

“Instead of being railroaded into removing necessary services, we need to see an urgent plan to invest, enhance and address any safety concerns at Our Lady’s Hospital in Navan.”

Reacting, the chairperson of the Save Navan Hospital Campaign, Deputy Peadar Tóibín, said that the terms of reference has the closure of Our Lady’s Hospital A&E, Navan built into them.

“What proper investigation would have the outcome hardwired into the terms of reference before any research has been undertaken?” he asked.

“We are calling on the Government to include the logical option of strengthening A&E services at Navan with the provision of acute surgery services in Navan into the terms of reference. This is what the 200,000 people in Meath want and need. This is what tens of thousands of people marched for. This is our red line”.

He added: “We were told by the HSE that the review into the future of Navan A&E is ongoing since 25th July this year. Yet we have been told today that the terms of reference and the working group have just been finalised. Starting a review three weeks before the terms of reference has been finalised is faulty and backwards. For those of us with experience of the HSE on this issue, this has all the hallmarks of window dressing”.

According to the HSE document, the process will include the following: A rapid review to assess the reconfiguration plan for Our Lady’s Hospital; recommendation of any additional capacity needed in advance of the transition of any activity from Our Lady’s Hospital Navan ED; recommendation of any additional capacity necessary for ambulance services to meet additional demands; and confirmation that clear pathways and sufficient staffing, at hospital and primary care level, are in place to ensure that there would be no diminution of services, to include the GP out-of-hours service and the medical assessment unit.

The 18-member working group includes Dr Gerry McEntee, clinical director, Our Lady's Hospital, and local GP, Dr Seamus McMenamin, chairperson of North East Doctor on Call.