No assurances given to hospital workers

Workers at Our Lady's Hospital, Navan who were informed by letter of the changes at the Emergency Department due to take place next week were given no assurances about their future employment

The Meath Council of Trade Unions has called on the Government to prevent the threatened 'imminent' closure of the ED following a letter from management to staff outlining unilateral changes to services at the facility.

“The executive of Meath Council of Trade Unions has confirmed its support for workers in Our Lady’s Hospital, Navan, who contacted us to express their fears of an imminent closure of the A&E unit and for the future of the hospital.

"The workers were informed of unilateral changes to services in a letter from management but received no assurance that redeployment or transfers of their employment will not occur,” said Council secretary, Moira Leydon.

“The Council is calling on the Government to immediately remove these unilateral changes to the A&E and ambulance services in Navan and to calm concerns of the community and the workers in the lead up to Christmas.

“The Council is also calling on the Taoiseach, Michael Martin, to acknowledge the concerns of 17 consultants who have warned about the risk to patients from the diversion of ambulance services from the Meath Hospital to the, already overcrowded, Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda.”

She added that the Minister for Finance, Pascal Donohoe, should release some of the billions of euros at his disposal to finance improvements to the ED in Our Lady’s Hospital, Navan.

Shop Steward and council member, Ann Rochford said: “Hospital staff are very concerned and angry over the failure of the HSE to engage with us and allay the real employment concerns triggered by the diversion of ambulance services from Navan to Drogheda.”