Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)

I am taking this matter on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health, and I thank the Senator for raising this important issue. Navan hospital continues to function as an acute general hospital. It provides inpatient services such as general acute medical and elective orthopaedic, including complex joint replacement surgery and it has an intensive care, cardiac care and high dependency units. Day services include medical and surgical, elective endoscopy and elective orthopaedic. The hospital has a 24-hour accident and emergency department, a 12-hour medical assessment unit and an outpatient department incorporating orthopaedic, gynaecology, ophthalmology and paediatric clinics. Other services include day medical cardiology, day diabetic, radiology, laboratory, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and speech and language therapy services.

Navan hospital is an integral part of the Louth-Meath hospital group and the Minister is determined that it will continue to play an important role in the delivery of clinical services in the Louth-Meath area and to patients in other parts of the north east. To fully consider the issues involved, the Minister will take account of the current organisation of acute services in the region and the important clinical programmes being developed by the HSE. He acknowledges the need for communication with the local community at this time and understands that, if required, HSE staff will be available to meet community representatives, as he will himself, should that prove necessary.

The Minister is committed to ensuring acute hospital services at national, regional and local level are provided in a clinically appropriate and efficient manner. In particular, he wants to ensure that as many services as possible can be provided safely in smaller, local hospitals. There is need to ensure the most appropriate organisation of acute services in each region. The Minister believes that the clinical programmes being developed by the HSE are vital in this regard. These inter-related programmes aim to improve service quality, effectiveness and patient access and to ensure patient care is provided in the service setting most appropriate to individual needs.

The Minister has made it clear that he expects to be briefed by the HSE on proposals to withdraw services from individual hospitals. He has also made it clear that patient safety must be the overriding priority. He wants patients to be treated at the lowest level of complexity that is as safe, timely, efficient and as near to home as possible. These factors will inform future decisions on the provision of acute hospital services.