Written Answers. - Ambulance Service.
Richard Bruton
Question:
412
Mr. R. Bruton
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
if he plans to restore the Dublin Fire Brigade as a statutory ambulance provider as a result of the winding down of the health boards; and if he plans to meet SIPTU to discuss the desirability of such a change.
[18578/03]
Tony Gregory
Question:
419
Mr. Gregory
asked the
Minister for Health and Children
if Dublin Fire Brigade will regain the status of a statutory ambulance service provider in the context of the abolition of the health boards; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
[18656/03]
I propose to take Questions Nos. 412 and 419 together.
The Eastern Regional Health Authority and each of the other health boards are responsible for the provision of ambulance services in each of their functional areas. There is an arrangement in place between the Eastern Regional Health Authority and Dublin Fire Brigade covering the provision of emergency ambulance services in Dublin.
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 Deputy will be aware that the Government recently launched the health service reform programme. One of the main elements of the reform programme is the establishment of the health services executive which will be the first ever body charged with managing the health service as a single national entity. As the Deputy is aware, the executive is to be organised on the basis of three core divisions: the national hospitals office; the primary, community and continuing care directorate; and the national shared services centre.
The new structure set out in this reform programme will provide a clear national focus on service delivery and executive management. It will achieve this through reduced fragmentation and the creation of clear and unambiguous accountability throughout the system. This is a streamlining of the management of the system to create greater efficiencies.
The Prospectus report referred to the fact that there are some services which are organised and-or delivered on a cross-sectoral basis. Ambulance services fall into this category. The report refers to the need to develop mechanisms to ensure integration for the individual patient and for the management of such services and to ensure clarity about commissioning and funding of such services within the HSE structure.
The implications of these new structures on the development of emergency medical services in Ireland will be considered in the context of existing policy documents in relation to these services. A number of action projects to give effect to the Government's decisions will commence in the autumn. An important input into the thinking of these groups will be the feedback from the consultation process with stakeholders which has commenced and will be completed in the autumn.
