Johnny Guirke (Meath West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

There were rumours in August that patients who had presented to the accident and emergency unit at Our Lady's Hospital, Navan, were sent to Drogheda. When I heard this, I called management at Navan hospital but I did not get a call back. I sent an email to the general manager of the hospital on 26 August and again last Friday, 24 September, but received no replies. What are we supposed to think? More important, what about the people we represent if the hospital will not answer calls or emails on such serious issues? Is there a basis for our fears and those of the people of Meath that the future of accident and emergency and ICU services in Our Lady's Hospital, Navan, are in danger of being closed or downgraded? Is it true the HSE leadership has been hell-bent on downgrading Navan hospital for years? If this is true, it will seriously affect healthcare in the north-east region. Meath has a population of 210,000, the fifth largest in the State. We know the hospital in Drogheda is already under pressure, so are we to expect people from Meath to travel to Drogheda or Dublin this winter to lie on a hospital trolley? That is what will happen if emergency department or ICU services are downgraded in Navan hospital.

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