The SIPTU Meath District Council and SIPTU Louth District Council are jointly calling for the retention of full services in the newly built Accident and Emergency Department in Our Lady’s Hospital, Navan. The retention of these services would not only benefit the local community in the North Meath area but would also assist in easing some of the overcrowding in the Accident and Emergency Department in Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda.SIPTU Meath District Council Coordinating Secretary, John Regan, said: “The decision by the Minister for Health, James Reilly, to reduce A&E services in Navan Hospital must not be implemented until a Regional Hospital is up and running and providing much needed services to the North East Region. To do otherwise will endanger patient safety and result in an unsustainable workload being placed on workers in the Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda.”SIPTU Louth District Council Coordinating Secretary, Paul Henry, said: “We intend to bring all union workers in both hospitals, along with our members in other workplaces in the region, into a campaign that will make clear to the Minister and HSE the level of opposition there is to their plan to reduce A&E services in Navan Hospital in 2015.”SIPTU Organiser, John McCamley, who represents members in the local health service, said; “Enough is enough. Our members in both hospitals are on a day-to-day basis working under extreme pressure. If the Minister’s plan is not stopped it will lead to our members being placed in an unsafe working environment.“SIPTU is calling on all its members in the public and private sector to start our campaign tomorrow (Saturday, 17th May) by attending the march in Navan in support of the Save Navan Hospital Campaign.“Minister Reilly must be reminded of the promise he made on a platform in Navan six years ago to retain services at the local hospital. We are asking him to publicly confirm that services in Navan Hospital will not be reduced until the Regional Hospital in the North East is in operation.”
SIPTU Meath and Louth District Councils to campaign in support of A&E Services at Navan Hospital
