HSE plan to end Navan trauma services ‘reckless’ – INMO

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Association (INMO) has serious concerns that all ambulance trauma cases will be diverted to Our Lady of Lourdes hospital in Drogheda due to ‘severe overcrowding problems’ and ‘inadequate bed capacity’ in the northeast.
Major trauma services at Navan will end from this weekend. From Friday at midnight, complex trauma patients in Co Meath and surrounding areas requiring surgical intervention will be taken by ambulance directly to Drogheda, or the nearest appropriate hospital, not first to Navan.

The HSE has stated that there will continue to be a 24-hour ED services at Navan, and ambulances will continue to bring less complex and non-surgical cases there.
Admitted patients are spending excessive time in EDs on trolleys, sometimes up to three or four days, the INMO said. Yesterday there were 24 patients on trolleys in Drogheda and five in Navan Hospital.
Mr Tony Fitzpatrick, INMO Industrial Relations Officer said: “The implementation of this plan ahead of the opening of the new emergency department is idiotic and demonstrates a reckless disregard for the well being and comfort of patients and the workload of staff. The HSE’s contention that the new emergency department will be opened by March 3rd is also completely unrealistic.”
The INMO has said it will not cooperate with the transfer to the new emergency department “until the significant problems that have afflicted the current department are addressed. There is no point in moving to a new department that immediately becomes overcrowded due to a lack of in-patient beds and inefficient and ineffective admission/discharge processes.”