Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

95. To ask the Minister for Health if he will cancel the planned closure of the emergency department at Our Lady’s Hospital, Navan given the pressure within the health service; and if a feasibility study will be carried out to identify the financial and human resources necessary to allow the emergency department at the hospital to operate safely for both patients and staff and to play its part in alleviating accident and emergency pressure throughout the region. [61087/22]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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.