David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I will start with the different types of response calls. Clinical status 1, the life-threatening cases, are the ones we need to respond to as quickly as possible. They are echo and delta calls. We then have Charlie and bravo calls, which are clinical status 2, serious but not life-threatening, and alpha and omega calls, which are clinical status 3, non-serious or life-threatening. Are any calls in those categories happening because of a lack of alternative care pathways? For example, we have a serious problem with overcrowding in hospitals. Part of it is due to capacity problems in hospitals and part of it is because the wrong people are going to the wrong place such as people going to emergency departments who should be cared for elsewhere. One good example is not being able to access a GP out of hours. Is that part of what is driving increased demand on the National Ambulance Service, especially I imagine as regards alpha and omega calls and possibly Charlie and bravo calls? Do the witnesses have any data on whether the lack of GP or other out-of-hours services is putting additional pressure on the National Ambulance Service?