asked the Minister for Health if he will arrange for the provision of suitably trained ambulance personnel throughout the country who could give attention to patients which is at present given by nurses who have to be called from duty for this purpose.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Ambulance Services.
10.
In the case of accident calls made on ambulance centres in the rural areas and where specifically requested by the referring doctor in other cases, it has been the practice to arrange for a nurse to accompany the ambulance driver when answering the call. This ensures that skilled nursing attention is available to the victim at the scene of the accident and during the journey to hospital. Ambulance drivers are given practical training in essential first-aid and resuscitation procedures but it is not proposed at the moment that the attendance of a nurse on accident calls should be discontinued. I might add, however, that all aspects of the ambulance services, including that mentioned by the Deputy, are at present being actively examined by the consultative council on the ambulance services which will be submitting recommendations to me from time to time.
Would the Minister not consider it most unfair to ask that in accident cases an ambulance driver, who must drive the ambulance, should also be required to look after patients in the back of the ambulance?
This is a very complex matter. The Irish Nurses' Organisation have their views on it and the medical fraternity have their views. As I have said, I am examining the question in what I hope is a rational way.
I hope the Minister will not agree to take nurses out of ambulances and ask the ambulance drivers to look after the patients?
I shall not do anything that I think is foolish.