Bernard Allen
Ceist:208 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children if a recent EU directive on single stretcher ambulances has been implemented by all health boards. [4052/00]
Vol. 514 No. 3
208 Mr. Allen asked the Minister for Health and Children if a recent EU directive on single stretcher ambulances has been implemented by all health boards. [4052/00]
As there is no directive currently in force dealing specifically with ambulances, I take the Deputy's question to refer to EN 1789 which is a European standard published by CEN – the European Committee for Standardisation. CEN was mandated to develop a European standard for road ambulances which was ratified in September 1999 as EN 1789: 1999 Medical vehicles and their equipment – Road ambulances.
This standard specifies requirements for the design and performance of road ambulances. Requirements are specified for three categories of vehicles which are described in EN 1789 as the patient transport ambulance, the emergency ambulance and the mobile intensive care unit. The standard specifies that one stretcher should be carried in each type of ambulance.