Ambulance services have changed considerably in recent years. With the establishment of the National Ambulance Service, the service is now organised on a national rather than a localised basis. The regional call centre structure has gradually been dismantled and we are working towards the establishment of a single national control centre. Ambulance resources are now deployed in a dynamic manner, to provide coverage over a region, rather than just in the area around an ambulance station or within a particular county boundary. This dynamic deployment of ambulance resources ensures that the nearest appropriate resource is mobilised to the location of any incident.
In the Waterford region, resources are deployed, as required, between Waterford, Dungarvan, New Ross, Kilkenny and Tipperary to maintain coverage and capacity in any particular area where emergency resources may be fully utilised. In Waterford City, two ambulances provide night cover, with one covering the period 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. and the other 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. In the event that an ambulance is required to transfer a patient out of the region between 5-8 a.m,, resources are dynamically deployed from the surrounding areas to provide cover for that period.
In responding to emergency calls, the National Ambulance Service uses the Advanced Medical Priority Dispatch System in its control and communications centres. The system uses internationally recognised protocols and standards to assess and prioritise 112 and 999 calls to ensure that life-threatening situations receive an appropriate priority response.
