Injunction threat to halt Navan A&E closure

The Save Navan Hospital Campaign has warned it will take legal action in a bid to prevent the closure of Navan Hospital's Emergency Department.

Following recent warnings that wait times in emergency departments around the country could rise to 24 hours this winter, the campaign has pledged to apply for an injunction to stop the closure of the Navan facility.

It comes as it emerged 100,195 patients have gone without beds in Irish hospitals so far in 2022 - the highest ever recorded, 1,903 of those have been children. In the last fortnight the number of people reached 669 people waiting on a bed and just last Friday, the HSE's chief clinical officer, Colm Henry admitted that patients around the country are likely to experience 24 hour waits this winter in emergency departments.

The Save Navan Hospital Campaign believes it would have a strong case if the decision to close Navan's ED is taken by the HSE at a time when there is a changeover of the Minister for Health.

They will seek an interlocutory injunction which would put a stay on the move, if the HSE implements the closure after a new Minister had been appointed but not embedded in the Department.

“We have sought legal advice as to what are our options are and we are putting the HSE on notice that the Save Navan Hospital Campaign will take out an interlocutory injunction or a stay, to prevent closure. If the decision to close the A&E is made by the HSE rather than by the government, we feel we have a strong case,” said chairman, Deputy Peadar Tóibín.

Over the last few months it appeared there was significant conflict between the current Minister, Stephen Donnelly and the HSE, with top medics telling councillors at a meeting last July that they had been gagged by the Minister,

With the handing over the of the office of Taoiseach to Fine Gael next month, it is expected there will be a new Health Minister and campaigners are concerned that the HSE will use the changeover period to implement the planned closure of the ED and its replacement with local injuries and medical assessment units.

The campaign has received a 31 page legal advice document from Geoffrey Sumner BL, which was commissioned as part of their campaign to keep Navan ED open.

Deputy Tóibín said they were calling on the government to do the right thing by the people of Meath and “start to invest in our A&E to make it strong and safe and to allow it take the pressure off the rest of the system”.