Former HSE boss would have closed Navan A&E
The former head of the HSE has said he would have pushed ahead with plans to close A&E services in Navan decribing it as an "emergency department he personally "would have no wish to be taken to".
Tony O'Brien, speaking in an in-depth interview with the Sunday Business Post confirmed that he would have made widespread cuts to emergency medicine.
O’Brien stepped down from his position in May, following the fallout of the Cervical Check scandal.
"I would have ended 24-hour emergency department cover in a number of (hospital) locations," he said in the interview with Susan Mitchell.
Mr O'Brien cited Navan hospital as being the 'best example' of the need to remove full A&E services suggesting it received very few presentations overnight but is staffed 24/7 relying on expensive locum doctors.
"It's a wasteful use of public resource. And it's not an emergency department I personally would have a wish to be taken to," he said.
Mr O'Brien said there are also too many emergency departments in Dublin something he said the HSE suggested.
Deputy Shane Cassells slammed his comments and stated that it showed a “clear and present danger to the emergency department in Navan.”
“His personal comments on the emergency department are a slur against the hard working staff at that facility”, reacted Deputy Cassells.
“His comments on Navan were insightful into the mindset of senior management in the HSE and must keep us all on guard.
A spokesperson for Ireland East Hospital Group, of which Our Lady’s Hospital Navan (OLHN) is a member, said Navan is the only one of the nine hospitals identified in the Smaller Hospitals’ Framework that has not yet been re-configured.
"Ireland East Hospital Group is continuously engaging with key stakeholders and are committed to patient safety in line with the implementation of Government policy," he said.
Chairman of the Save Navan Hospital Campaign, Deputy Peadar Toibin said Mr O’Brien’s comments gave a shocking insight into the thinking of government and the HSE when it comes Our Lady’s Hospital Navan.
"Its absolutely clear that the HSE have been and are seeking to close our A&E, firstly overnight and then throughout the day.
"This has been and is a real and present danger. The Save Navan Hospital Campaign will continue the fight. Indeed the campaign will be meeting in the Newgrange Hotel, Navan, this Thursday at 8pm," he said.
Cllr Wayne Forde said the biggest threat to the future of acute emergency services in Navan is Fianna Fail and Fine Gael.
"This is a political decision. The Government tells the HSE what to do," he said.
"I meet with Senior HSE Managers once a month and they are the nicest people you could meet and they will tell you, off record, that all these decisions are political decisions and they have to go by what the Government of the day says," he said.