The Irish Hospital Consultants' Association (IHCA) has warned that the fate of a man who bled to death at Monaghan General Hospital in 2005 could be repeated at Our Lady's Hospital in Navan.
This may happen, the association says, if the HSE does not implement an urgent action programme in the north-east.
Pat Joe Walsh (75), from Carrickmacross, bled to death at Monaghan General Hospital in October 2005 after doctors failed in their attempt to transfer him to hospitals in Cavan or Drogheda for emergency surgery on a bleeding ulcer.
The IHCA said yesterday that 11 months had passed since a review of hospital services in the region called for a three-month action plan to improve clinical care. The plan, which was drawn up by UK-based Teamwork Management Services, recommended that emergency surgery be taken out of the Navan hospital and moved to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda. It said that the emergency surgical service in Navan was "held together by only two consultants".
It also recommended that all critical care be centralised at the Drogheda hospital. However, this had not happened.
Donal Duffy, assistant secretary general of the IHCA, said that the inaction of the HSE on this "critical first step" was inexcusable.
"It is well known that Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital is under tremendous pressure at present, but that should not prevent interim arrangements being made with other acute hospitals, such as Connolly, Cavan and Mullingar," he said.
Mr Duffy said that the measures to implement a three-month action programme would not be expensive, but would require "a commitment of leadership and planning, evidence of which has been sadly lacking".
"We could be facing a repeat of the Walsh case in Monaghan if nothing is done," he said.
A spokeswoman for the HSE said yesterday that it was committed to an urgent action programme to reduce patient risk in the north-east, but that progress might have to be suspended pending industrial action by the IHCA.
She said that the HSE had developed "clinical network teams", led by consultants, to address the issues. However, progress in the area had met two significant obstacles, including selective leaking of the proposals.
"This set back the prospect of securing funding for them and having them implemented in the immediate future," she said.
