We didn't want public protests to delay or obstruct what we knew was in the best interests of stroke patients in Meath

The new arrangements for stroke patients in Meath is supported by country's top stroke experts, as well as the staff at Our Lady's Hospital in Navan who were treating stroke patients, according to the hospital's Clinical Lead, Gerry McEntee.

Mr McEntee said that the country's leading stroke experts as well as physicians in Navan, who were responsible for treating stroke patients were fully in support of the new arrangements and that there had been concerns that the situation in Navan wasn't as safe as it could be.

"They agree that it is safer and gives patients a better opportunity for a good outcome."

Since mid February ambulance personnel have no longer brought stroke patients  to Navan Hospital, but instead bringt to the nearest stroke unit, in Drogheda, Cavan, Dublin or Mullingar.

The new arrangement sparked an angry reaction locally with the Save Navan Hospital Campaign threatening to bring thousands of people to the streets of Navan in protest.

Mr McEntee said the sole reason for the decision was patient safety.

"The clinical leads for stroke throughout the country, led by Doctor Ronan Collins, were concerned that the situation in Navan wasn't as safe as it could be.

"There were three main factors - there was no stroke unit in Navan, there was no stroke consultant in Navan and the time taken from diagnosis  to the time the patient got clot dissolving drugs, despite the best efforts of everyone involved,  was one of the longest in the country."

"The stroke experts who looked at this, were very much aware of the travel times involved in getting ambulances and getting to hospital. Taking all these factors into account, they concluded this new arrangement is safer."

Now the majority of Meath patients are going to the Mater Hospital.

"They are going to a designated stroke unit, which has a stroke consultant on call 24 hours a day, seven days a weeks, the latest radiological assessment for stroke patients and one of the shortest times from diagnosis to treatment in the country.

"The Mater Hospital is the only hospital in Ireland and the UK that has received the European Stroke Organisation Award."

Mr McEntee explained that when the patients have received their primary treatment, they are brought back to Navan for rehabilitation.

"This means they get the best possible initial treatment followed by rehabilitation closer to home."

Mr McEntee said the move was one taken by the hospital and had nothing at all to do with HSE cutbacks.

"This was driven by staff and management of Our Lady's Hopspital and the Ireland East hospital Group. This had nothing to do with financial considerations.

"We took the advice of the National Clinical Leads on Stroke."

Mr McEntee said the new arrangements would not impact on the staff numbers in the ED or Intensive care unit in Navan. "There is no threat to the security of jobs in Navan," he said.

Responding to criticism from local GPs about the lack of consultation with local doctors who learned of the new arrangement through the media, he said they had deliberately kept the move low key as there had already been plans to implement twice before bit  for one reason or another, it hadn't come about.

"We didn't want to raise hopes and expectation and then not work out.

"We also didn't want public protests to delay or obstruct what we knew and all the staff of our Lady's Hospital knew was in the best interests of stroke patients in Meath," he said.