Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

This matter needs to be more of priority because this service provides vital care and is needed by people not just in west Cork but in other rural areas. I understand these things can take time but there is also a lack of joined-up thinking and utilisation of resources, which can be frustrating for people in those areas.

SouthDoc services are under pressure and, at the same time, Bantry General Hospital's medical assessment unit only opens from 9 a.m. to 4.30 p.m. Extending the opening hours of this unit is not only important in itself but would help relieve the stress on SouthDoc services. The absence of those services, in turn, adds strain to the few ambulances operating in west Cork. Between Bantry, Skibbereen and Castletownbere, three ambulances are ordinarily operational but they might go somewhere else and then travel elsewhere from there. One rapid response unit operates between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., after which it no longer operates. Each of those systems is under-resourced, which puts additional strain on all the healthcare workers in the area. We need to take a more holistic approach to this. SouthDoc needs more staff, Bantry General Hospital's medical assessment injury unit needs to be open for longer and we desperately need more ambulances.

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