Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 25 June 2014
62. Deputy John Browne asked the Minister for Health the way the Health Service Executive is going to deal with the continued concerns regarding the provision of ambulances; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27063/14]
View answerThis Government is committed to improving our ambulance service and ambulance response times. The National Ambulance Service (NAS) is continuing the modernisation of its services, to ensure emergency pre-hospital care is delivered in an appropriate and timely manner. In that regard, additional funding of €3.6 million and 43 staff have been provided in the National Service Plan 2014. Including Dublin Fire Brigade emergency ambulances, our total fleet is now 534 vehicles, 77 more than four years ago, and I understand that a number of emergency ambulances will be upgraded this year.
A significant reform programme is underway, to provide a clinically driven, nationally co-ordinated system, supported by improved technology. Ongoing performance improvement projects include:
- The single national control and dispatch system, to be completed in 2015;
- The Intermediate Care Service, which transports patients between facilities, and allows emergency vehicles to focus on emergency responses;
- On-duty rostering and the development of a national rostering system;
- The Emergency Aeromedical Support Service - 652 missions were completed to the end of May 2014, about one third involving time-critical transfers of STEMI heart attack patients to primary PCI units;
- Turnaround guidelines, which provide a standardised national approach to clinical handovers of patients from ambulances to Emergency Departments. Data on handovers is now being collected, which allows for more effective management of patient handovers and ambulance turnaround times.
I would also like to draw the Deputy’s attention to three reviews of the NAS currently underway.
- The NAS has commissioned a national capacity review, to determine the level and use of resources required for a safe and effective service. This independent review is being undertaken by the UK Association of Ambulance Chief Executives, an organisation with considerable international experience in operational and strategic reviews of this kind;
- In the context of the development of the single national control and dispatch system, a review of the Dublin Fire Brigade (DFB) emergency ambulance service is also underway. The review will inform consideration of the best model for the provision of emergency medical services in the greater Dublin area;
- HIQA is undertaking a scheduled review of the NAS, examining the governance arrangements for pre-hospital emergency care services, to ensure the timely assessment, diagnosis, initial management and transport of acutely ill patients to appropriate healthcare facilities.
The three reviews are being conducted in parallel, in a concerted effort to examine our pre-hospital emergency care services throughout the country, with a view to identifying the best way to enable them to meet the challenges of the future. I am confident that the recommendations will guide us in the provision of a modern, forward looking service, capable of delivering the best possible outcomes for the public.
