'As a result of the cuts patients are being forced to do a tour of the north east in ambulances in search of beds. The problem has come into sharper focus this winter as the system creeks under the strain. Last week 50 patients waited on trolleys for a bed in Drogheada and over 20 were forced onto trolleys in Navan. Senior health professionals are now going on record stating that the current HSE system is extremely bad for patient safety'.

The Save Navan Hospital Campaign successfully mobilised over 10,000 people on to the streets of Navan last October and is one of the largest hospital campaigns in the state. It has held discussions with the HSE and Mary Harney over future services. It is expected that further discussions will be held with the HSE this month.

According to Cllr Peadar Tóibín 'we also need to make sure that this issue is firmly on the agenda of any incoming government. We have hired a team of solicitors who will investigate the legal avenues open to us to ensure patient safety in the county. We are also putting in place a system whereby the treatment paths of patients who are being scattered across the north east looking for a hospital bed will be tracked.

'We will then scientifically compare and contrast patient outcomes in this government's current confused and dysfunctional system with a proper hospital system.

'This campaign is a cross community campaign. It is supported by all the political parties, the local churches, doctors, hospital staff, the schools, the GAA, St Patrick's Day committees, Tara Mines, Dunderry Fair, Scurloughstown Olympiad, the IFA, ICA, members of Comhaltas s Ceoltóirí Éireann, Meath and District League, Active Retirement Group, Meath River Rescue and many more organisations throughout the county.

'Tomorrow is going to be a festive positive and peaceful rally. Dunderry Fair will put on a 20 minute show of the Riordan's to entertain the crowd. They will also bring farm animals, tractors and colour to the occasion. There will be buses available from Trim, Dunderry, Kells and Navan at 11.15 on Thursday morning. We are asking Meath people who work in Dublin to take their lunch break off and head down to the march'.