Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputies Nash, Guirke, O'Rourke and O'Dowd for raising the matter of the ambulance bypass protocols at Navan hospital's emergency department and for providing me with the opportunity to update the House on behalf of the Minister, Deputy Donnelly.

There are a number of ambulance bypass protocols in place throughout the country at this time and they are important to ensure patients receive the right care in the appropriate hospital, depending on their clinical needs. Our Lady's Hospital Navan provides a range of inpatient and outpatient general medical, elective surgical and orthopaedic services, with a 24-hour emergency department service to which patients may self-present or be brought by ambulance. The emergency department at Our Lady's Hospital Navan has an ambulance bypass protocol in place for patients who have suffered a stroke, heart attack or major trauma and also those in need of paediatric and obstetric care.

From the week commencing 12 December the HSE is enhancing this ambulance bypass protocol to include patients who are critically or seriously unwell, or likely to deteriorate. Following the update, this cohort of patients will bypass the emergency department at Our Lady's Hospital Navan and be brought to the closest appropriate hospital for their needs. The decision to convey a patient to, or bypass, the emergency department at Our Lady's Hospital Navan will be made by the attending National Ambulance Service teams. The National Ambulance Service teams will assess patients, treat them as appropriate, and transport them to the nearest appropriate hospital depending on their clinical condition. This change is expected to affect only a small number of patients. However, this small cohort of patients, who are critically and seriously unwell, require appropriate treatment urgently. This update to the current ambulance bypass protocols will ensure that these patients receive the most appropriate care as quickly as possible in the most appropriate hospital.

Following this update to the ambulance bypass protocols, ambulances will continue to bring patients outside of the critically and seriously unwell categories to the emergency department at Our Lady's Hospital Navan. The National Ambulance Service has put an additional 24-7 emergency ambulance and an additional intermediate care vehicle on the ground in Navan to support this change. This updated ambulance bypass protocol at Our Lady's Hospital Navan is important to ensure patients receive the right care, in the right place, at the right time.

I confirm that no decision regarding the HSE's proposal for the transition of the emergency department at Our Lady's Hospital Navan has been agreed by the Minister for Health. This matter remains under consideration. The Minister for Health and the Government are clear that several important issues would need to be fully addressed before any proposed transition by the HSE could be considered.

I have listened intently to what all four Deputies had to say. I was in Navan last week with regard to the new early intervention psychosis unit and the Cara suite which will support people with outpatient mental health needs on a 24-7 basis. I have heard about the 11 ambulances that were queued at the weekend in the other hospital. I have taken on board what Deputy O'Dowd said about management and synergies. I will certainly pass all of his thoughts and reflections to the Minister.

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