Hospital Chiefs' concern over 'patient safety' sparks fears for A&E future
Concern for patient safety in Navan's Emergency Department has been expressed by four groups of doctors within the hospital itself, as well as by national experts, according to the hospital's clinical lead, Gerry McEntee.
"The national clinical leads in different areas of medicine assessed the ED in Navan and concluded that it is not safe, not in the patients’ best interests. More tellingly, four groups of doctors within the hospital - anaesthetists, surgeons, junior doctors and the physicians all expressed concern about patient safety."
Mr McEntee explained that the plan for Navan is to have patients with life threatening conditions needing major resuscitation like strokes and heart attacks, as well as trauma’ brought to major hospitals where they will have appropriate specialist services from ED trained consultants.
There will be a Medical Assessment Unit (MAU) in Navan which will look after acute medical conditions that do not require major resuscitation, including pneumonia, bronchitis, asthma, angina, diabetes and major urinary tract infections.
"The doors will not close on the ED. The MAU will be open 24 hours a day, seven days a week."
"Clinical leads and the ED specialists tell us that ninety per cent of conditions currently treated in Our Lady’s Hospital would be well suited to treatment in an MAU”.
No date has yet been earmarked for the changes, as “it is important that safe protocols and pathways are in place, not just with Our Lady’s Hospital, but in other major hospitals nearby and with the ambulance service.”
“As a Meath man myself, with several family members living in the county, I would be more than happy for myself or my family member to be looked after in Navan for acute medical conditions that do not require major resuscitation.
“If on the other hand, if I or a family member had a major life threatening medical condition, I would want to be brought to the nearest major hospital which has trained ED personnel and appropriate back up .
“I would want the people of Meath to have to those two treatment options available to them, which gives the best opportunity of a good outcome,” he said.
Dr McEntee explained the reasons for the concerns about the ED in Navan.
“There are no full time Navan based ED consultants, the ED training body who is responsible for training junior ED doctors will not recognise the ED in Navan for training purposes, and we have been unable to attract other consultants who specialise in emergency medicine or junior doctors with a specific interest in emergency medicine.”
He said it was worth pointing out to people who have concerns about the hospital, that the elective day case surgery in Navan has increased by 30 per cent, activity in the MAU increased every year, over the past three years, inpatient medical activity and the number of endoscopies have increased.
“Any question that activity has reduced or been downgraded is incorrect,” he said.
“The key priority is to ensure the safety of the patients and to provide the patients of Meath with the best possibility of a good outcome.
“Our aim is to make Navan Hospital safer, busier and more efficient.”
What’s your view?
E: ann.casey@meathchronicle.ie