Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)

I am aware that going into an accident and emergency department where the doctors treating one have no specialist training is unsafe and is not recognised by anybody. Earlier this afternoon, I had a meeting with Professor Tanner of the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland, an accident and emergency unit consultant from Beaumont Hospital and others on trauma and the importance of auditing. In the course of this meeting, we discussed the importance of getting victims of trauma experiences such as road traffic accidents to a specialist centre as quickly as possible after paramedics get to the scene of the accident. Mortality outcomes are improved by 25% when this happens.

The "golden hour" is not about taking one to a place called "hospital" and once one is there, suddenly one will be saved. It is about getting one as quickly as possible to specialist care. This brings me to Deputy Jan O'Sullivan's question. Mr. Burke has been given clinical leadership responsibility in the mid-west. He will press the green button on when accident and emergency services transfer. My understanding is, and the intention is, that it will happen in April, which is next month.

The two vehicles for the advanced paramedics have been purchased and are ready. They are in place. Some capacity issues have been dealt with in the hospital in Limerick. The critical care unit is a longer-term project and it will not happen prior to the summer. It is not a necessity for the transfer of seven patients on average per night from Nenagh, six of whom should have been with their GP, and the nine patients from Ennis, many of whom should have been seen by their GP also. This transfer does not need the critical care unit to be in place in advance.

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