After-dark closure of A&E on cards?

THE Heath Service Executive (HSE) has refused to confirm or deny that it is planning to curtail accident and emergency services at Our Lady's Hospital, Navan, to daytime hours and operate widespread ward closures during this summer as part of its strategy to cut back on costs.

A spokesman for the service said that the hospital management was looking at a range of options to help stay within budget, but that no final decisions had been taken.

Reports that severe cutbacks would come into effect within the next few weeks has angered local public representatives and union officials. Colr Tommy Reilly demanded that the hospital accident and emergency services be kept operating from 8pm to 8am and called for HSE authorities to bring in the long-promised medical assessment unit (MAU) for the hospital "immediately".

SIPTU workers are planning a May Day demonstration at the hospital gates tomorrow (Thursday). The union called on the general public to make their voices heard in the controversy over alleged downgrading of the hospital.

It said that it did not want to adversely affect services at Our Lady's during the period of the protest - from 4pm to 6pm - but had asked as many of the hospital employees as possible join them at the hospital gates.

Tara Mines workers have also pledged to lend their support to the demonstration.

The HSE is struggling to curtail a €400 million budget overrun and will operate curtailed services in some areas during the summer months. The organisation yesterday (Tuesday) repeated its statement issued in January that it was facing a challenging year and it was exploring how best to deliver services within budget.

"Our Lady's Hospital, Navan, has looked at a range of options to help stay within budget but no final decisions have yet been made. Each year, over the peak summer holiday period, the hospital scales back activity. This does not impact on emergency or urgent admissions. This allows essential maintenance to be carried out while the hospital is less busy and also means that we can manage the service during what is a peak holiday time for key staff including consultants," it said.

However, Colr Reilly said that this argument did not hold water. "I can't understand what is going on here when the HSE has a budget of €16 billion. There is mismanagement somewhere here and we have to find out where. If it is thinking of curtailing A&E services to daylight hours, then they should think again," he said.

He said that the county had an "excellent" doctor-on-call service and GP and district nurse service. "These are the people at the coalface and they are already under pressure. What the HSE may be thinking of in relation to A&E services is crazy. I want the A&E service to operate from 8pm to 8am. This period is the most lonely and frightening for people who may become ill during the night, especially the elderly, the disabled and the parents of young children."

He protested at a situation "on a recent bank holiday morning" when a woman had been taken to an A&E department in the region suffering from a stomach wound "which could no longer be treated at home by the GP or district nurse".

Colr Reilly added: "That woman had to lay her head on her daughter's lap because of the pain and discomfort while she was waiting to be treated. Meanwhile, two guys came in, obviously with the effects of a good night out on them, and one of them with a wound, and he was treated before this woman. Does anybody call this management of an A&E department?"

John Regan of SIPTU said that its members working at the hospital were very concerned about cutbacks at the hospital and would show that concern at Thursday's demonstration. "We are calling on local businesses, on individuals of all kinds, on our own members, to come out and let their feelings be known. Otherwise this hospital will be run into the ground," he said.

Wayne Forde, a worker at the hospital, said that, last year, Minister Noel Dempsey had said there would be no downgrading of services at Our Lady's pending the building of a new regional hospital. "We know that downgrading is taking place, sometimes by stealth. The medical assessment unit is nearly built but they have scaled that back from 12 beds to six. They are ready to go with an 8am-8pm operation in A&E. When the new casualty unit in Drogheda is built by this November, that will be the end of nighttime A&E in Navan. What is that but downgrading?" he said.