The Dublin Midlands Hospital Group has postponed the launch of its five-year strategic plan, after the hospital action committee in Portlaoise said it would protest at the event.
It was due to take place in Dublin tomorrow morning.
In a statement, the HSE said the high-level strategy for the seven hospitals within the group, sets out a blueprint for the development of services up to 2023.
The plan focuses on developing the group and its hospitals further, with an emphasis on improving access for patients, and further collaboration with Community Health Organisations and academic partner, Trinity College Dublin.
The HSE has said the strategy is based on current Department of Health policies, HIQA Better Safer Healthcare Standards, and HSE values and principles.
The Midland Regional Hospital Group in Portlaoise had claimed the strategy includes proposals to downgrade the emergency department at the Portlaoise hospital - despite comments by the Minister for Health Simon Harris last week that no agreement had yet been made to do so.
The group said today it was cancelling the launch, planned for Trinity college tomorrow morning, and looked forward to publishing this strategy in 2018.
The hospital action committee had said it would disrupt the event tomorrow if it went ahead and intends to hold further protests in the New Year - including a march on the M7 motorway into Dublin.
