The number of ambulances attending Navan hospital is set to drop by half after new protocols diverting seriously ill patients to other local hospitals are introduced on Wednesday.
The HSE has confirmed it intends to press ahead with the change, which will see critically or seriously ill patients, or those whose condition is deteriorating, diverted from Navan to other hospitals.
It estimates this will see an average of five out of 10 emergency ambulances sent to other destinations each day. The HSE says the changes are necessary because of safety concerns over Navan, whose emergency department is one of the smallest in the country.
Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda is expected to receive an additional four to five ambulances a day as a result of the changes, while the Midland Regional Hospital, Mullingar, is expected to receive about two extra ambulances a week.
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In the past week, doctors in both of these hospitals have warned that patients’ lives could be at risk as a result of the additional pressure on their emergency departments.
The change being introduced on Wednesday is the latest of many made by the HSE in response to long-standing concerns over Navan dating back to a small hospitals report in 2009. Ambulances containing paediatric, obstetric, major trauma, heart attack and stroke patients are already diverted.
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The changes are vigorously opposed by a hospital action group and by local politicians, including Government representatives. Meath Senator Shane Cassells, of Fianna Fáil, last week accused the HSE of “bullying” people by pressing ahead with its plans.
“The HSE is putting the cart before the horse; they should have consulted with all stakeholders before making any decisions about what to do,” said John Ryan, chairman of Meath Council of Trade Unions and a long-time hospital campaigner.
Meath has one of the fastest-growing populations in the country, he pointed out, adding that there was a need for an emergency department near Tara Mines due to the risk of an industrial accident.
The HSE originally intended to proceed with a reconfiguration of services last year but was forced to pause its plans by Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly. He has, however, allowed the latest change in ambulance protocol to go ahead.
Senior managers at Navan hospital have warned that patients will die as an “inevitable consequence” of repeated critical incidents. Some local GPs support the reconfiguration, while others are opposed.
Notwithstanding the vehement local opposition, the HSE board has told officials to press on with changes due to their safety concerns. One source close to the process told The Irish Times he was shocked by what he saw in the hospital.
“It’s highly dangerous. Parts of the building are derelict. They can’t get staff. They’ve had a number of serious incidents.”
He warned that Navan could suffer the same fate as Monaghan hospital, which lost its acute unit in 2009 despite a campaign of opposition by local interests.
The HSE has held out the prospect of new services being moved to Navan, in the same way that Roscommon hospital started specialising in daycare services after its emergency department was closed.
However, Mr Ryan said a more appropriate comparison is with Limerick, noting the closure of smaller hospitals in the midwest has put University Hospital Limerick under extreme pressure.
“Limerick is a disaster; Navan is a disaster waiting to happen,” he said.
On Tuesday, there were no patients on trolleys in Navan’s emergency department, 10 in Drogheda, 12 in Mullingar and none at Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown.
