Vol. 560 No. 1
600 Mr. Hogan asked the Minister for Health and Children the approximate number of external defibrillator machines located here at present; the typical location of these machines; his views on whether the wider availability of external defibrillation equipment in the community would result in a reduction in fatalities from sudden cardiac arrest; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27175/02]
Details on the number of external defibrillators located here at present are not routinely collected and collated by my Department.
Policy on the development of emergency medical services in Ireland is set out in a number of documents, including the health strategy, Quality and Fairness – A Health System for You, the Strategic Review of the Ambulance Service, 2001, and Building Healthier Hearts, the Government's cardiovascular health strategy. The approach set out in these documents follows the internationally accepted principles of the chain of survival, which provides that effective care for cardiac emergencies requires early access to emergency care, early cardiopulmonary resuscitation, CPR, early defibrillation and early advanced care.
The cardiovascular health strategy clearly highlights the importance of patient-centred pre-hospital care involving not only the ambulance service but general practitioners, first responders and the public at large who all have a role to play in providing the right care at the right time. In line with this approach, services are being developed to provide an appropriate level of care in the community to deal with cardiac emergencies. My Department funds a bystander CPR training programme which is organised by the Irish Heart Foundation. This programme aims to increase the availability of CPR skills in the community.
Defibrillation skills now form a part of basic training for all ambulance personnel. In line with developments in technology which allow people to use defibrillators safely with less training than in the past, my Department is supporting a pilot first responder programme, which includes defibrillation skills. This project is being undertaken by the North Western Health Board. My Department has also supported initiatives to provide GPs in more remote rural areas with defibrillator and support equipment and training to allow them deal with emergencies in advance of the arrival of an ambulance. These schemes are in line with the focus of the cardiovascular strategy which seeks to put a pre-hospital care network in place based on the principles of the chain of survival. Further expansion of these initiatives will fall to be progressed in the further implementation of the cardiovascular health strategy.
The Deputy will be aware that the pre-hospital emergency care council was established in 2000 and that its primary function is to develop appropriate standards in pre-hospital emergency care. It is in this context that the council is pursuing the development of professional and performance standards for the ambulance services and for ambulance services personnel in addition to the accreditation of institutions providing training for emergency medical technicians.
