Sir, – I refer to “Navan hospital is set to receive 50 per cent fewer ambulances” (News, December 13th). You report that John Ryan, chairman of Meath Council of Trade Unions and a long-time hospital campaigner, stated that there was a need for an emergency department near Tara Mines due to the risk of an industrial accident.
Navan general hospital is the least suitable hospital to treat victims of an industrial accident.
By Mr Ryan’s way of thinking there should be a fully equipped and staffed emergency department in every town in Ireland with a major industrial complex! In order to decrease early mortality and improve survivor outcome the equipment, technology and medical expertise needs to be concentrated into a small number of large hospitals, which is exactly what the Trauma Strategy Group is doing in Ireland at present.
In relation to what’s appropriate and feasible for Navan general hospital, it would be far better that he and his fellow campaigners support the local and national healthcare experts to reconfigure the hospital to provide safe care to appropriate patients commensurate with the available resources and staff. There is nothing more stressful for healthcare personnel than trying to treat seriously ill or injured patients in the absence of appropriate resources and expert back-up.
Allow the healthcare experts to get on with their important work of making Navan hospital a safer place for patients. – Yours, etc,
PATRICK BROE,
(Consultant surgeon
retired,
Past president of the
Royal College of Surgeons
in Ireland),
Mount Merrion,
Co Dublin.