Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 1 May 2001

Vol. 535 No. 1

Written Answers - Helicopter Emergency Medical Service.

Denis Naughten

Question:

287 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Health and Children the progress made in discussions with interested parties relating to the establishment of a helicopter emergency medical service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11428/01]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

The provision of an air ambulance service for emergency cases which cannot be safely conveyed by road ambulance continues to be provided by the Air Corps and the marine search and rescue helicopter service of the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources. Contacts with interested parties regarding the provision of a dedicated air ambulance service are ongoing, with a view to developing a consensus on the most appropriate role for air ambulances in the overall context of pre-hospital care.

I have requested the pre-hospital emergency care council – PHECC – to advise me on the question of the provision of a dedicated helicopter emergency service for the transport of seriously ill and injured people to hospital who cannot be safely conveyed by road ambulance. The council is presently considering the issue, including available literature on the use of helicopter emergency medical services. It is not possible at this stage to give an accurate estimation of when the council's considerations will be completed. It is important to acknowledge that an air ambulance service is only one element of an effective emergency medical care system. Since the publication of the report of the review group on the ambulance service in 1993 approximately £45 million has been provided for the implementation of its recommendations with over half of this funding provided by this Government.

This has resulted in major improvements in the service including the training of ambulance personnel, changes in the specification and age profile of the ambulance fleet, the development of command and control centres, the opening of additional ambulance stations and the provision of training and equipment to general practitioners in remote rural areas, on a pilot basis, to enable them to deal with emergencies in advance of the arrival of an ambulance.

I remain committed to the continued development of the pre-hospital care system identified both in the review group's findings and in the report of the cardiovascular health strategy group, Building Healthier Hearts. Proposals for the development of an air ambulance service are to be considered in the wider context of developments in emergency medical services generally. Any initiative in this area needs to complement other pre-hospital resources such as the ambulance service, first responder schemes and other emergency response resources.