The new Accident and Emergency Department is expected to open on the 17th of December in Our Lady’s Hospital in Navan. It is a testament to the Save Navan Hospital Campaign and the people of Meath. The A&E has been under consistent threat.Just over a year ago in 2013 this government’s Small Hospital Report proposed that Coronary Care, ICU and A&E facilities would be reduced. This was met with 8,000 people taking to the streets in the 4th march in 4 years. Our A&E is central to the delivery of health care in Meath and we will continue to fight tooth and nail to save it. Just a few months ago in the height of the summer the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation once again called for the emergency department in Drogheda to be closed for 48 hours, such was the dangerous overcrowding. A total of 55 patients were waiting on trolleys resulting in inhumane and degrading conditions for both patients and staff. There was a shortage of basic equipment such as thermometers and blood pressure monitoring equipment, adding to the pressure on staff and impacting on patient safety and care”. We are delighted that the work has so far paid off and there will now be a new, modern purpose built A&E in the county. However we unfortunately must add a word of caution. Our campaign has had up to 20 meetings with the HSE in the last 4 years and they have not changed their tune. It is still their stated objective to close the A&E and replace it with a local injuries unit. The battle continues. We will meet with the new CEO of the Ireland East Hospital region in the early new year in an effort to make sure that the A&E is maintained as part of the critical health infrastructure of the region.
Posted on: Wed, 10 Dec 2014 17:30:31 +0000
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