Vol. 508 No. 3
225 Mr. Naughten asked the Minister for Health and Children further to Parliamentary Questions Nos. 189 and 199 of 11 May 1999, the progress, if any, made by the standing committee on an air ambulance service; when the committee will publish a report on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19005/99]
The provision of an air ambulance service for emergency cases which cannot be safely conveyed by road ambulance continues to be provided by the Air Corps and the marine search and rescue helicopter service of the Department of the Marine and Natural Resources.
Contacts regarding the provision of a dedicated air ambulance service are ongoing with all interested parties involved with a view to developing a consensus on the most appropriate role for air ambulance in the overall context of pre-hospital care. I am continuing to provide additional funding for pre-hospital care with funding of over £7 million in 1999. This represents an increase of £2.7 million from 1998, the largest annual amount ever provided for the development of the ambulance service.
It is important to acknowledge that the provision of a dedicated air ambulance service is only one element of an effective emergency medical care system. Since the publication of the report of the review group on the ambulance service approximately £23 million has been provided for the implementation of the report's recommendations. This has resulted in major improvements in the service, including the training of ambulance personnel; the specification and age profile of the ambulance fleet; the development of command and control centres; the opening of additional ambulance stations; and the provision of training and equipment to general practitioners in remote rural areas, on a pilot basis, to enable them to deal with emergencies in advance of the arrival of an ambulance.
I remain committed to the continued development of the pre-hospital care system identified in the review group's findings and in the recent report of the cardiovascular health strategy group, Building Healthier Hearts. Proposals for the development of an air ambulance service falls to be considered in the wider context of developments in emergency medical services generally and any initiative in this area will complement other pre-hospital resources such as the ambulance service, first responder programme and other emergency response resources.
