Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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1389. To ask the Minister for Health if he will report on the review of the framework for smaller hospitals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1084/23]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The Smaller Hospitals Framework which was published in 2013 included a list of nine designated Model 2 Hospitals, including Our Lady’s Hospital Navan.

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.