Major downgrade proposed for Navan Hospital

Major changes are on their way for Our Lady’s Hospital, Navan following the publication last night (Tuesday) of two major health reports, which will see a major downgrade of the hospital.
Anger has been expressed at proposals which are expected to see an eventual reduction in Intensive Care, Coronary Care and A&E services in Navan.
Concern has also been expressed by the Save Navan Hospital Campaign about the impact of the proposals on both the orthopaedic services in Navan and any future plans for the new Regional Hospital which had been promised for the town.
However the fact that Navan is to be linked in a hospital group, which includes the Mater and St Vincent’s Hospital, as well as a number of other smaller hospitals, has been welcomed as a positive move with predictions that it will secure Navan’s future as it will become much busier with day surgery, diagnostics, rehabilitation and chronic disease management.
The Small Hospital Report which was published last night proposes that Our Lady’s Hospital status be reduced to a Model 2 hospital which would mean coronary care, ICU or A&E facilities would be reduced .
The second report on hospital groups proposes linking the Navan Hospital in a UCD group of hospitals which would include three major teaching hospital - the Mater, St Vincents and the National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street as well as Midlands Regional Hospital in Mullingar, The Eye and Ear Hospital, Loughlinstown and Cappagh Hospitals, St Michael’s Dun Laoghaire as well as St Luke’s Hospital, Kilkenny and Wexford General Hospital.
According to sources within Our Lady’s Hospital, the proposed changes would eventually mean no coronary care, no A&E and no ICU in the Navan Hospital. There would be an urgent injury unit operating from 8am to 8pm, which wouldn’t take serious  cases like heart attacks.
Concern has also been expressed that as Cappagh Hospital is the national elective orthopaedic facility, the future of orthopaedics in Navan could be in doubt.
 Deputy Peadar Tóibín of the Save Navan Hospital Campaign said they will not accept the changes. “The Mater does not have the capacity. It cannot take the overflow that would be created. We demand the retention of the Accident and Emergency, the coronary care, intensive care, night time anaesthesia and airway management.
Local GP Ruairi Hanley said that the proposals would condemn patients in Meath to trolley based misery either in Drogheda or Dublin.
“If this downgrading goes ahead without the construction of a new regional hospital then I believe lives will be put at risk”
Deputy Damien English said the reports clearly secures the future of Our Lady’s Hospital in Navan. “I am confident that more patients will be treated in Navan as a result of these changes. The hospital will do more work in a number of areas including day surgery, diagnostics, rehabilitation and chronic disease management.