Orthopaedic procedure waiting list concerns at Navan Hospital raised
Concern has been expressed over waiting lists at the Orthopaedic Unit at Our Lady’s Hospital in Navan following cancellation during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Deputy Johnny Guirke is calling on the Minister for Health to intervene to ensure the retention and upgrade of the Orthopaedic unit.
“The news I have received from senior staff at the hospital is very concerning,” said Deputy Guirke.
“Covid-19 has had a huge impact on operations at the hospital as patients with the virus took over the orthopaedic ward for eight months over 2020 and 2021, and now the ward is closed since February 2022.”
He pointed out the unit covers the areas of Meath, Louth, Cavan, and Monaghan with 460,000 patients served and they have just 23 inpatient beds, six day care beds with two operating theatres.
“On average for a patient list of that size, the hospital should be performing around 1,458 joint replacement procedures per year, in 2021 this figure was just 324 joint replacements. “The pain and suffering that these patients must endure while they await the reopening of the ward must be unbearable, it also cuts down their daily activities and routines the longer they must wait.
“The government’s reaction to these failures is to throw money at the National Treatment Purchase Fund with €150 million allocated this year.
“Healthier patients may avail of this service, but the vulnerable patients won't and need longer and higher levels of care at Navan Hospital.”
Deputy Guirke said that doctors now fear that allocating patients to private hospitals will see trainee surgeons lose sufficient case numbers to gain experience, which restricts them completing higher surgical training and gaining a consultant post.
“Many nursing staff have left the hospital through retirement or for the private sector, and now the fear among staff is that they will not be able to provide a service due to the lack of skilled nursing colleagues.
“We need the Minister for Health and the HSE to intervene without delay on behalf of the patients of the Regional Orthopaedic department at Our Lady’s Hospital in Navan, to make sure they receive the basic surgical care for chronically painful and debilitating arthritis,” he said.
A spokesperson for the Ireland East Hospital Group said Our Lady’s Hospital, Navan has made every effort to minimise the impact of the pandemic. This included the prioritisation of time-sensitive treatments at all times and the use of a range of measures to increase capacity when feasible, including extended working days, outsourcing, virtual assessments, clinical guidance updates, new clinical pathways and adoption of new technologies.
"The hospital makes every effort to avoid any disruption and is working to ensure that the safest, quality patient care be provided at all times.
"In addition, the Waiting List Action Plan was developed in consultation between the Department of Health, the Health Service Executive, and the National Treatment Purchase Fund and published with full details available at https://www.gov.ie/
"The Waiting List Action Plan is aimed at mitigating the impact of the pandemic and the cyber-attack on scheduled care activity this year. It has deliverables across five areas with specific actions within each area, to be delivered by year end."
These are waiting list management, immediate capacity, improved modernised pathways, preparation for the introduction of maximum wait time targets and data and information.
He said significant funding has been identified through the 2022 estimates process to support access to care. The HSE is working with Hospital Groups to ensure that available additional funding is targeted at access to care for patients where care delivery has been affected by the Pandemic.