Vol. 560 No. 5
106 Ms B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Health and Children the position regarding the provision of a 24 hour ambulance service for Killarney, County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3138/03]
Responsibility for the provision of ambulance services in County Kerry rests with the Southern Health Board. Therefore, my Department has asked the chief executive officer of the board to investigate the matter raised by the Deputy and to reply to her directly.
107 Ms B. Moynihan-Cronin asked the Minister for Health and Children if it is the policy of his Department that ambulance crews on all emergency maternity call-outs should at all times be accompanied by a midwife or qualified maternity nurse; if his attention has been drawn to a directive (details supplied) which prohibits such a policy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3139/03]
Policy on the development of emergency medical services in Ireland is set out in a number of docu ments, including the health strategy, Quality and Fairness – A Health System for You, the Strategic Review of the Ambulance Service 2001, and Building Healthier Hearts, the Government's cardiovascular health strategy. As emergency medical care services continue to evolve and become more sophisticated the need for high quality education for emergency medical technicians increases. Educational programmes are being developed as part of a quality assurance and quality improvement process which provide personnel with appropriate knowledge and skills to ensure maintenance of accepted standards of care practice.
These programmes are being developed by the pre-hospital emergency care council whose primary function is to develop appropriate standards in pre-hospital emergency care. It is in this context that the council is pursuing the development of professional and performance standards for the ambulance services, and for ambulance services personnel, in addition to the accreditation of institutions providing training for emergency medical technicians. As part of the educational process, ambulance crews are trained to a high level of professional competence to enable them to fulfil their role in dealing with all emergency responses in the pre-hospital care setting, including maternity responses.
Each ambulance crew also has access to a suite of standard operating procedures which draw on current best evidence in key areas of concern to those working in the emergency ambulance service. They also provide a clear approach to assessment and treatment and are an important step in developing the focus on clinical effectiveness. I understand the agency referred to by the Deputy does not have a policy which prohibits the attendance of specialist nursing personnel in emergency maternity situations. Where an ambulance crew feel that such assistance is required, they can seek this via ambulance control. This procedure is endorsed by the services medical adviser.
