Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I too welcome the opportunity to discuss this issue. At the outset, I stress that we all want what is best for the people of Meath and the surrounding counties. That includes our family members and friends. We want to ensure everybody gets the best possible healthcare, that we have appropriate access to that healthcare in appropriate timeframes and that we are seen in the best possible places by the best possible people. That needs to be said clearly. That is what we all want. There have been understandable concerns about the proposed changes to Navan hospital. These changes started with the publication of the small hospitals framework. We all agree not every hospital can be a large hospital and have expertise in every field.

Equally, no document should be thought of as concrete, and as times change and as populations expand, we always need to be open to the fact other options are possible.

That framework was followed closely by the closure of the acute surgical unit and then the movement of the stroke unit, both of which decisions have resulted in, understandably, a clear concern about patient safety. A total of 1,700 of 2,000 patients were referred to equipment where the resources were simply not there. I do not doubt, and I am sure none of us does for a moment, the genuine clinical concern. I do not in any way contradict it; how could any of us given it is clear medical evidence? In the same vein, however, as the Minister outlined, I do not think any of us doubts the concerns raised by clinicians and medical experts in other departments and other hospitals, namely, that relating to the possible transfer risk if we were to close the Navan hospital accident and emergency room to avert that possible risk. The fear is that we would be simply transferring one kind of risk to another hospital, whereby there would be an increase in the number of patients attending an emergency department in Drogheda that is overstretched and overloaded.

While I acknowledge the wonderful staff who work in each hospital, it is important to stress there are different opinions and it is important all opinions, views and clinical expertise be taken into consideration. It is only fair and right that all of us in this Chamber, where we have a role when it comes to health in funding and capacity and where we have to answer questions about the decisions we take, should ask questions, get clarity and be able to tell the people we represent that they will get the best possible healthcare. In recent days, weeks and years, I have raised, along with others, questions relating to, for example, patient numbers and types. Since 2019, there have been about 22,000 presentations to the Navan hospital accident and emergency department, 2,000 or so of which comprise critical patients who have been mentioned, while one third relate to GP referrals. Where should the remaining 10,000 or so patients go and how will they know whom to go to? We need clear answers for all these questions.

How will the medical assessment unit work? There was a welcome letter from some GPs today stating they had been engaged with in regard to our hospital in Navan and that they support it. There is another letter, however, from North East Doctor on Call, which is part of the same group, stating it has not been engaged with and that its doctors do not support it. We need clear answers as to how this will work.

On capacity, our neighbouring hospitals are under severe strain. We have been told by clinicians in Drogheda that the capacity is not there and that we would be simply transferring a risk, and that additional capacity will be built into the system, yet a capital plan announced only a few weeks ago did not include resources or additional capacity for Drogheda in this context.

Many questions still need to be answered and we as public representatives deserve answers to them. I am very grateful to the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, who has committed to looking at all these questions and ensuring they will be answered. I refer not just to capacity in Navan hospital and access to services in the proposed medical assessment unit but also to the National Ambulance Service and the capacity in the surrounding hospitals.

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