Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 May 2011
512 Deputy Seán Kenny asked the Minister for Health and Children the steps being taken at accident and emergency departments to return ambulances trolleys to ambulance personnel as soon as possible when a patient is admitted, in view of the fact that recently ambulance personnel had to wait several hours to get trolleys returned to them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [11736/11]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs Minister for Health and Children I am determined to address the issues which cause unacceptable delays in patients receiving treatment in our hospitals. The Government is committed to establishing a Special Delivery Unit (SDU) to improve access to the emergency and elective care system. The SDU is a Government priority and is one of the commitments from the Programme for Government 2011-2016 to be achieved within the first 100 days. Extensive work is currently being undertaken in designing the Unit, which will be modelled, in part, on the successful special delivery unit in Northern Ireland which substantially reduced waiting lists over two to three years. In relation to the Deputy’s question regarding ambulance trolleys, I have referred your question to the HSE and my Department will respond to you on the matter in due course.
513 Deputy Seán Kenny asked the Minister for Health and Children his plans to provide additional funding to purchase additional ambulances for Dublin Fire Brigade in view of the fact that the fire brigade has only received one additional ambulance in the past 25 years. [11737/11]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs this is a service matter, it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.
514 Deputy Seán Kenny asked the Minister for Health and Children his plans to provide an air ambulance for the Dublin region. [11738/11]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Booz Allen Hamilton study on the introduction of a dedicated helicopter emergency medical service (HEMS) for the island of Ireland, jointly commissioned by the Department of Health and Children and the Northern Ireland Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety was published in April 2004. In HEMS, a helicopter is used in the primary pre-hospital emergency response role, rather than as aeromedical support to land-based pre-hospital emergency care.
The Booz Allen Hamilton study did not support the establishment of a HEMS for emergency responses, as the data did not demonstrate better patient outcomes through use of HEMS in the primary response role, relative to ground ambulance services. The study offered a supportive view of helicopter use for inter-hospital transfers, with some evidence for the use of helicopters in an aeromedical response role, for patient transport in support of the land service.
In light of the report and the need to significantly enhance land ambulance services in both jurisdictions, the Departments agreed that policy for the medium-term would concentrate on the consolidation and development of land services. For the HSE, this includes:
working to unify land ambulance services into one integrated national service;
ensuring that ambulance personnel are trained to provide more complex pre-hospital care;
improving the command and control function; and
organising emergency ambulance services to support the reconfiguration of the acute hospital service.
An air ambulance service is currently provided by the Air Corps through a service level agreement with the Health Service Executive. The Air Corps service provides for:
inter-hospital transfer of patients with spinal or other serious injury or illness;
neonates requiring immediate medical intervention in Ireland;
patients requiring specialised emergency treatment in the UK;
organ retrieval teams within Ireland; and
paediatric patients requiring immediate medical intervention in Ireland.
In addition, the Irish Coast Guard provides air ambulance inter-hospital transfers and also provides emergency medical evacuation from the islands around Ireland. In situations where the Coast Guard service is not available, the Air Corps will transport patients from offshore islands to mainland hospitals. In the circumstances, therefore, there are no plans at present to pursue the introduction of alternative air ambulance services.
