HSE To Announce Closure Of Navan Beds

The Health Service Executive is to announce the closure of almost 30 beds at Our Lady's Hospital in Navan at a meeting with unions later today.

Word of the closures came after unions and staff representative groups were called to this morning's meeting, where the hospital's management are expected to announce the closure of two wards in the hospital.

One of those is the surgical ward, but as all surgery was suddenly cancelled at the hospital last month the HSE says it is not needed.

At the end of September, around 250 people attended a rally in Navan to protest the HSE's decision to cease surgeries in Our Lady's Hospital, and to stop the downscaling of the hospitals activities.

All emergency and most elective surgery was halted in the hospital at the start of last month by the Executive who said the move was in the best interests of patients.

Following today's closure of 28 beds, a second temporary ward, which was used to accommodate patients from Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, is also expected to be shut.

The regional orthopaedic unit in the hospital is also to close - on a temporary basis - until next year due to "budget constraints".

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation strongly condemns the decision taken by the HSE believes that there is no clinical basis for the decision and that it was based solely on financial reasons.

A spokesperson for the union said: "The INMO is firmly of the view that the HSE North East has made this decision on funding and financial grounds. Our Lady’s Hospital in Navan has appropriate facilities for surgery as well as highly skilled, highly trained and highly experienced surgeons and nursing staff with the necessary expertise in surgery.

"It would appear that these staff are now surplus to requirements and we have grave concerns with regard to their future employment. There has been absolutely no consultation with staff or the unions with regard to this decision and we need to see the evidence they are using to support their claim."

Fine Gael TD Damien English joined the criticism of the decision describing it as “a disgrace”.

“This policy of downgrading Navan hospital makes no sense, especially when services are being transferred to hospitals which are already at over-capacity. These decisions are being taken for purely political reasons,” he said.

(DW)