Opening of new surgical hub sparks concerns for future of Navan A&E
The opening of a new surgical hub in Swords last week, which the HSE says will drive down waiting times for surgery in Meath, has sparked concern of further downgrading of Our Lady's Hospital Navan.
While local representatives have welcomed the extra capacity and efforts to reduce waiting lists, they have expressed fears for the future of the A&E in Navan and pointed to the long distance from parts of Meath to Swords.
Minister for Health Jennifer Carroll MacNeill TD opened the new HSE Dublin and North East Surgical Hub last week.
She said it is a nationally significant addition to Ireland’s public health system that “will expand capacity for day case surgery, reduce waiting times and ease pressure on acute hospitals across the region, with particular benefits for patients and services in Louth and Meath.”
Chair of the Save Navan Hospital Campaign, Deputy Peadar Tóibín said: “We welcome extra capacity in terms of surgery and any efforts to reduce waiting lists is positive. It is notable that Navan was not selected for this. Spatially Ireland is already extremely lopsided with so much going into Dublin.
“Given traffic congestion it can take people a four hour return journey to get in and out of Swords from much of Meath and Louth.
“The further concentration of services in Dublin is not good. The government needs to know that Ireland exists outside the M50. Also there are continuing worries and concerns about the future of Navan A&E. Locating a surgery hub in Navan would have helped allay those fears and strengthened our A&E. Given that Navan was not selected means we must remain vigilant.”
Deputy Johnny Guirke said he hoped the new facility would not be followed by further denigration of services in Navan.
“We need investment in Navan Hospital. Swords is quite a distance for a lot of people in Meath, particularly those in the north of the county. We don't want any more downgrading of Navan Hospital,” he said.
Minister Carroll McNeill said:” These new facilities will enable delivery of faster, more efficient elective care for patients.
“We know that demand for health services continues to grow, which is why we are investing now in delivering a network of Surgical Hubs across the country which will help to drive down waiting times for elective care.””
The Hub is a modern, purpose-designed facility specifically for day case surgery and minor procedures. It forms part of a HSE network of public surgical hubs in key locations, increasing capacity for planned care.
There are four dedicated operating theatres, two minor procedure rooms and 11 bay post-anaesthetic care unit, 21 bay day ward, and 10 outpatient assessment rooms that support an efficient flow of patients through the service.
The facility is equipped to deliver a wide range of day case specialities, including general surgery, dermatology, gynaecology, ophthalmology, ear nose and throat (ENT), orthopaedics and urology, with other specialities to be agreed locally.
By concentrating day surgery in a dedicated public facility, each surgical hub is expected to deliver day case procedures and thousands of additional minor operations and outpatient appointments every year.
This additional capacity will directly support national efforts to reduce the time people wait for treatment and to meet Sláintecare waiting time targets for inpatient, day case and outpatient care.
For patients in Louth and Meath, this means faster access to planned care, fewer last-minute cancellations and a clearer pathway from referral to treatment.
HSE CEO Anne O Connor said, “The opening of the Dublin and North East Surgical Hub is a hugely significant step in how we deliver planned care for our patients. Dedicated, high-quality facilities like this, will allow us to increase surgical capacity, reduce waiting times and ensure that patients can access treatment in a timely and more predictable way. Critical to this is the separation of elective care from emergency pressures allowing us to make better use of our hospital system overall. It improves patient flow and supports our staff to deliver safe, efficient care. This hub here in Swords is a key part of our national elective care programme and reflects our ongoing commitment to reform and strengthen public health services in line with Sláintecare.”
A key objective of the hub is to separate scheduled day surgery from emergency and unscheduled care, so that planned procedures can go ahead even when emergency departments and acute hospitals are under pressure.
Sara Long, Regional Executive Officer for HSE Dublin and North East, said: “This is an important day for public patients and staff across our region, and especially for the people of Louth and Meath, as this new Surgical Hub gives us dedicated, modern capacity to deliver thousands of additional day case procedures every year and to improve access to planned care for communities across both counties.
“By treating suitable patients in a state-of-the-art facility designed and operated in line with national clinical guidance for elective care, we can provide safe, high-quality care while protecting planned surgery from the pressures of emergency demand.
“This will help us reduce waiting times, ease pressure on our acute hospital services and ensure more people across Louth, Meath and the wider Dublin and North East region receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time.”