Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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46. To ask the Minister for Health the position regarding the emergency department of Our Lady's Hospital, Navan. [4362/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Our Lady’s Hospital Navan is part of the Ireland East Hospital Group. Every hospital in that Group, large and small, has a vital role to play within the Group, with smaller hospitals managing routine, urgent or planned care locally and more complex care managed in the larger hospitals.

Currently, the Hospital Group is engaged in a programme of re-design work to further integrate and enhance the role of Navan hospital within the Group and to ensure that it will provide more services safely and appropriately. A key development has been efforts to promote better integration between the Mater and Navan hospitals, in relation to day surgical activity in Navan, with surgeons from the Mater carrying out surgery in Navan. Recent capital investments include upgrade of general theatres and the Sterile Services Unit and refurbishment of the Emergency Department.

The Hospital Redesign Working Group includes representation from local GPs, the National Ambulance Service, the Mater and Navan Hospitals and from the Ireland East Hospital Group. It is intended that the Hospital Group will continue to engage closely with all interested parties to ensure that the needs of patients, staff, the local and wider community are addressed.

I can assure the Deputy that there are no immediate plans to change Emergency Department services at Navan. Any proposed changes to Emergency Department services will only take place after stakeholder consultation in the context of overall service reorganisation in the Hospital Group and will be undertaken in a planned and orderly manner.