Jan O'Sullivan
Ceist:271 Ms O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will introduce national standards for response times for the ambulance service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4855/01]
Written Answers. - Ambulance Service.
Response times are an important measure of the operational efficiency of the ambulance service and are monitored on an ongoing basis by the individual health boards. Response times vary in each health board area, depending on the geographical location of the ambulance centre in relation to the call out location.
I am anxious to ensure that we have meaningful performance targets for the ambulance service and I feel that a combination of good clinical audit and response times offers the best way forward. Good progress has been made in this area with the introduction of the national patient report form and work is currently well under way on the development of standard operating procedures. The development of clinically based response times is a complex area and the views of the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council, which I recently established, will be critical in developing a suitable system for use here.
Considerable resources have been provided by my Department for the extension of 24 hour "on duty" cover in ambulance stations and two-man crewing on all ambulances. These are important factors in improving response times and are a high priority for further investment in the future.