Mary O'Rourke
Question:106 Mrs. O'Rourke asked the Minister for Health if he will give a full report on the current position regarding the implementation of the Ambulance Review recommendations. [16149/95]
Written Answers. - Ambulance Review.
Limerick East): The report of the review group on the ambulance service, which was published in November 1993, made 74 recommendations, addressing in a comprehensive way major policy issues in the ambulance service.
The review recommended the establishment of the National Ambulance Advisory Council to ensure that uniform standards of service would operate throughout the country so that the development of the Irish Ambulance Service would keep pace with best international practice. The council was established in July 1994 and since then has played a major role in implementing the recommendations of the review group.
The council has now recommended improved standards of training for new and existing ambulance personnel, a new specification for emergency ambulances and a standard equipment list for emergency ambulances. I have accepted the standards recommended by the National Ambulance Advisory Council and these have been published in recent weeks.
To enable health boards to meet the recommended standards, I have, this year, allocated £2.5 million for ambulance improvements. The total extra resources committed to the ambulance service since the publication of the report of the review group in 1993 now amounts to £4.5 million. These funds have enabled health boards to purchase approximately 100 new ambulances nationwide over the past two years as well as making considerable progress towards the recommendation that each emergency ambulance should be staffed by two trained ambulance personnel. I hope to be able to continue to provide funds to enable the boards to continue this progress in 1996.
Particularly significant progress has also been made in implementing the recommendations of the review group in the important area of cardiac care. Public education and training in bystander cardiopulmonary resuscitation has commenced and almost all ambulances are now equipped with defibrillators. Pilot projects to evaluate the use of advisory defibrillators in general practice areas where emergency ambulances are not immediately available have also been initiated. Progress has also been made in centralising ambulance service command and control arrangements in each health board area.
Overall, very significant progress has been made in the implementation of the report of the review group over the past two years. I am committed to maintaining progress towards the implementation of all outstanding recommendations over the coming years.