Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Following Government approval, on 14 May 2013 the Minister for Health published two key reports: The Establishment of Hospital Groups as a transition to Independent Hospital Trusts, and Securing the Future of Smaller Hospitals: A Framework for Development. The Government's decision to reorganise acute hospitals into new hospital groups was informed by these reports. This establishment of hospital groups - where small and larger hospitals work together as teams - is a key component in the health reform programme. It also lays the key foundation stone for the eventual abolition of the HSE and the introduction of universal health insurance.

Securing the Future of Smaller Hospitals: A Framework for Development defines the role of smaller hospitals. It focuses in particular on the future role of nine smaller hospitals, including Our Lady's Hospital, Navan. It outlines the need for these smaller hospitals and larger hospitals to operate together with appropriate roles within the hospital group. The framework also outlines in detail the wide range of services that can be provided within smaller hospitals such as that in Navan and commits to the expansion of services delivered in these hospitals, especially in areas such as day surgery, ambulatory care, medical services and diagnostics. Smaller hospitals such as Our Lady's Hospital, Navan, will provide more services, not fewer, with more flexibility, so that the patient is the ultimate beneficiary of this reform.

Our Lady's Hospital, Navan, is part of the new Dublin east hospital group. While the hospital is currently managed as part of the Louth-Meath hospital group, which includes Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, and Louth County Hospital, there will be a structured integration of Navan hospital into the Dublin east hospital group. Within one year of the formation of hospital groups, each group will be required to submit a strategic plan to the Department of Health outlining its plans for future services for each hospital within the group. The provision of services at Navan and all other hospitals will be examined in the context of strategic plans to be developed by each hospital group.

A wide range of services is provided at Navan Hospital, including general medicine and surgery, elective orthopaedic surgery, cardiology, rheumatology and elective gynaecology surgery. Navan hospital, like all hospitals, will play a significant role in its group in providing sustainable, safe and effective care at the appropriate level of complexity. In this regard, a phase 2 build at Our Lady's Hospital Navan will provide enhanced capacity, including a clinical decision unit, rapid assessment triage, and a larger minor injuries unit. This phase 2 build will also incorporate three floors of 22 single en-suite rooms and a new theatre suite. It is anticipated that this additional capacity will be available in 2016.

I am confident that the formation of Irish acute hospitals into a small number of groups will provide an optimum configuration for hospital services, including services at Navan, to deliver high-quality, safe patient care in a cost-effective manner. These significant reforms will take time, but the establishment of hospital groups is a key milestone in achieving the vision for our health system as set out in the Future Health document.