Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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393. To ask the Minister for Health if the HSE has a plan to close the accident and emergency department or reduce its hours in view of the news that the accident and emergency department in Our Lady's Hospital, Navan is to be closed in January of 2017; if the HSE plans to close the accident and emergency department or reduce its hours of opening in 2017; if Our Lady's Hospital, Navan has a fully functional accident and emergency department, ICU and anesthesia service for the whole of 2017; and if he will meet with a group (details supplied) as soon as possible to discuss these threats [31493/16]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Our Lady's Hospital Navan is part of the Ireland East Hospital Group. Hospital Groups must increasingly focus on networks of service provision with smaller hospitals managing routine, urgent or planned care locally, more complex care managed in the larger hospitals and better linkages with primary, continuing and social care.

A number of developments at the hospital have been funded in recent years including the refurbishment of the Emergency Department and upgrade of general theatres and Central Sterile Services. There has also been an increase in day surgical activity, with surgeons from the Mater Misercordiae University Hospital carrying out day surgery in Navan. Further developments in relation to surgery and other clinical services are being considered by the Group. There is significant potential for enhancing the hospital's roles as a constituent hospital within the Hospital Group. As a smaller hospital, the challenge is to make sure that Navan provides more of the right type of services, which can safely be delivered, so that we maximise the benefit to patients.

In relation to your specific queries raised regarding the Emergency Department, I understand that the Hospital Group CEO has written to you directly confirming that it is not the intention of the Hospital Group to close the Emergency Department in January 2017. Any proposed change to services provided at Navan Hospital, will need to take account of existing patient flows, demands in other hospitals and the need to develop particular services in the context of overall service reorganisation in the Hospital Group.

I would be happy to consider a request to meet with the group referred to by the Deputy.