Johnny Guirke (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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131. To ask the Minister for Health the number of times since taking over the health portfolio that he has engaged in person with communities in County Meath regarding the proposed downgrading of Navan hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61157/22]

Johnny Guirke (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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132. To ask the Minister for Health the number of times he has met with the HSE, the management of Navan hospital or elected representatives for County Meath on the issue of the proposed downgrading of the hospital since receiving the review of Navan hospital; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61158/22]

Johnny Guirke (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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135. To ask the Minister for Health if he had discussions with the HSE regarding investing in and enhancing the accident and emergency services at Navan hospital as a solution to any suggested problems with the facility; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61161/22]

Johnny Guirke (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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136. To ask the Minister for Health if he can clarify the way the directive to the National Ambulance Service to redirect the bulk of its patients to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, from 12 December 2022 is not a further downgrade of the emergency department at Navan hospital on the part of the HSE while all such downgrading was supposed to be on hold pending the publication of the review; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61162/22]

Johnny Guirke (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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137. To ask the Minister for Health the additional resources have been put in place at Our Lady’s Hospital in Drogheda to take the additional patients being re-directed from Navan A&E by the National Ambulance service from 12 December 2022, given that the clinicians at Drogheda Hospital have confirmed that it does not have the resources for the existing demand; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61163/22]

Johnny Guirke (Meath West, Sinn Fein)
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164. To ask the Minister for Health to indicate the number of times since receiving the review on Navan hospital emergency department he has met or discussed with the HSE, hospital management or elected representatives for County Meath the issue of the downgrading of the emergency department; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [61325/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 131, 132, 135, 136, 137 and 164 together.

As the Deputy will be aware, the HSE has proposed a process of planned service changes at Our Lady's Hospital Navan and has advised that these changes are necessary to support safe service delivery on a sustained basis and are driven first and foremost by patient safety considerations.

No decision regarding the HSE’s proposal for the transition of the Emergency Department at Navan has been agreed by me or by government.

While recognising the very real clinical concerns identified, the Government is clear that several important issues, including additional capacity in other hospitals impacted and the continued ability of people in the Navan area to access emergency and urgent care, would need to be fully addressed before any proposed transition by the HSE.

For this reason, I have asked the HSE to undertake a review of capacity. The review has been received and is currently under consideration and engagement in relation to this matter is ongoing.

From 12 December, the existing ambulance bypass protocols, in place for Our Lady’s Hospital Navan, are being updated to address urgent patient safety matters to include patients who are critically or seriously unwell, or likely to deteriorate. The current ambulance bypass protocol includes paediatric patients, obstetrics patients, major trauma patients, heart attack patients, and stroke care patients.

I have encouraged the HSE to engage further with the Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital management team with a view to ensuring sufficient capacity is in place across the region to meet demand.