I consider the training of ambulance personnel to be a central and fundamental element in the delivery of an efficient and effective ambulance service. A new basic training syllabus for ambulance personnel which was recommended by the review group on the ambulance service was developed by the national ambulance advisory council. Agreement with staff interests on the implementation of the new training programmes was reached in 1997 and to date more than two thirds of all ambulance personnel have now completed the basic training course.
The review group recommends that the national priority should be to provide a significant improvement in the quality of the training provided for current personnel across the eight health boards on a national basis. The basic life support training which Irish ambulance personnel receive compares very favourably with best international standards. This training covers all areas of basic life support including emergency cardiac care, emergency childbirth and head/spinal injuries. The use of a defibrillator in the training which Irish ambulance personnel receive at least equals and often exceeds the level of training provided to ambulance personnel in other countries. When an overall improvement in training is achieved, the question of advanced and paramedic training will be addressed in line with the recommendations of the review group.
In relation to the establishment of a national ambulance authority the review group's recommendation on this issue was that ambulance services should continue to be managed by the statutory health agencies engaged in the provision of hospital care in order to promote close integration of the pre-hospital and hospital sectors. The national ambulance advisory council was established on foot of the recommendations of the review to ensure that uniform standards of service operate throughout the country. The council was operating under the aegis of my Department. A review of the structure and role of the council to strengthen its capacity to fulfil its remit has recently been completed and I expect to be able to make an announcement in this regard shortly.