Carol Nolan (Offaly, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Go raibh maith ag a Cheann Comhairle as ucht an deis chun labhairt ar an topaic fíor-thábhachtach seo. I wish to raise the issue of the cost of private ambulances being used to transport public patients in the midlands area. This is an issue of serious concern. I will outline why I believe it should be investigated.

When we look at our health service, we can see clearly that it is failing miserably. Are we wasting resources in some areas? That is the overarching point I want to make. This issue has been brought to my attention and I am seeking clarity from the Minister of State. Recently, I submitted several parliamentary questions to the Minister. I have them before me. I was shocked by the figures, which are most concerning. They show that €4 million was spent by the Dublin Midlands hospital group for transportation by private ambulance operators in 2016 alone. The cost relating to the Midland Regional Hospital, Tullamore, at €1.91 million, accounts for almost half of the total amount paid in 2016.

According to correspondence from the HSE, the requirement for private ambulance use arises from the transfer of non-urgent public patients for various clinical reasons. The examples given include transfers between hospitals, transfers between residential and acute settings and transfers for diagnostic tests at other hospitals. The figures show that over €25 million has been spent on private ambulances to transport HSE patents since 2012. That is a matter of concern. For some reason, this figure increased dramatically during the period in question. In 2012, the figure was under €4 million, but it jumped to almost €6.5 million in 2015 and 2016. At a time when our health service is bursting at the seams, we need to question whether this is the best use of resources. We need to challenge the options being used and deployed.

Those of us who live in Offaly know only too well the impact of cuts to the health budget. The full capacity protocol was implemented 230 times last year at the Midland Regional Hospital, Tullamore. It is meant to be used only in cases of emergency. This was the third highest figure in the State. We continue to have ongoing problems with patients on trolleys and the cancellation of elective surgery as a result of the crisis in the accident and emergency department. One patient on a trolley is one too many.

Can the Minister of State explain why the figures for private ambulance operators have increased so significantly during the past four years? Can she explain in particular why the hospital in Tullamore accounts for such a high proportion of the spend? The figure is €1.91 million for Tullamore, the highest in the Dublin Midlands hospital group. Can the Minister of State outline any plans there are to reduce this spend and invest in the capacity of the public ambulance service?

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