Bobby Aylward (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

We can use all the HSE buzzwords we like. We can say that resources are dynamically deployed or that ambulances are dispatched on a nearest available to incident basis and not a county boundary basis. When one peels back the spin, however, the ratio of ambulances to population size is concerning. The idea of roaming ambulances and resources can only work if there is a sufficient complement of ambulances to begin with. We cannot subject people to a lottery of roaming resources as if the ambulances are constantly static and can be at the scene of an incident anywhere in the county at a moment's notice. That is what the HSE's dynamic language suggests but the reality is the current strategy is simply not sustainable.

If we were unfortunate enough to have a high number of emergency situations occurring, either simultaneously or in a close timeframe to one another, this strategy would unravel faster than one could dial 911. I raise this public safety issue against the backdrop of our continuous fight for 24-7 cardiac care for a population in excess of 500,000 people across the south east. The idea that we expect critically ill patients who present to University Hospital Waterford outside of Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., to travel to Cork University Hospital is not workable.

It is not possible to do that fast enough to maintain patient safety. It can take close to two hours to travel from south Kilkenny to Cork University Hospital. The journey takes far too long and puts the lives of patients at risk.

There is a mobile cath lab, which is a welcome assistance, but I am concerned it could increase pressure on existing cardiac services for people in the south east. More people will be diagnosed more quickly but the existing laboratory will have limited extra capacity to carry out follow-up procedures that result from the additional angiograms. It is projected that 30% of patients would require additional procedures and 1,500 diagnostic procedures could be carried out annually in the mobile lab. That indicates 450 people would be added to waiting lists for cardiac procedures at the existing cath lab at Waterford Hospital each year. However, only €500,000 additional funding has been allocated. Will the Minister increase that funding allocation?

There is currently no emergency cardiac care service at the weekend in Kilkenny. One ambulance cannot care for 50,000 people. It is an emergency waiting to happen. There should be a reconsideration of more ambulances being made available on a county basis.

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