Seán Power (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)

I thank Deputy Timmins for raising this matter and giving me an opportunity to outline to the House some details of the work being done to improve how cardiac emergencies are dealt with. As the Deputy said, Deputy Lowry raised a similar matter in the House some months ago. I would like to update the House on the developments since then. The Health Act 2004 provided for the establishment of the Health Service Executive on 1 January last. Under the Act, the HSE is responsible for managing and delivering, or arranging to be delivered on its behalf, health and personal social services. As part of the reform of the health service, a national ambulance office has been established, under the auspices of the national hospitals office within the HSE, with responsibility for the provision of pre-hospital emergency care, including the development of the first responder service where required. The 2001 report of the strategic review of the ambulance service has largely formed the basis for the development of pre-hospital emergency medical services in recent years. The report recommended that all ambulance services should consider establishing first responder programmes to support the ambulance service. In line with that recommendation, the eastern region of the HSE trained more than 1,000 people last year in cardiopulmonary resuscitation in the community. The Department of Health and Children has been advised that a number of community first responder schemes are in operation throughout the country. The HSE has advised that the further roll-out of such schemes will take place subject to the pre-hospital care needs of particular regions.

Deputy Timmins is aware that a national task force on sudden cardiac death was established in September 2004 to address the problem of sudden cardiac death. The task force, which is chaired by Dr. Brian Maurer, has almost completed its work. It will make recommendations on the prevention of sudden cardiac death and the detection of those at high risk. The task force will advise on equipment and training programmes, to improve the outcomes in the cases of those suffering from sudden cardiac collapse, and on the establishment of appropriate surveillance systems. In particular, the task force will advise on maximising access to basic life support and automatic external defibrillators, appropriate levels of training in basic life support and the use of automatic external defibrillators and the maintenance of that training. It will also consider who should be deemed to be priority individuals and priority groups for such training.

The task force will make decisions on the geographic areas and functional locations of greatest need, the best practice models of first responder schemes and public access defibrillation and the integration of such training services. I understand that the task force has been involved in widespread consultation with individuals and organisations and that a report will be published shortly. I thank Deputy Timmins for his contribution. It was heartening to hear his report on the success of the first responder scheme in County Wicklow. The task force's recommendations will inform future policy in this area. Funding will be provided through the HSE to support the implementation of the recommendations.

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