Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator for raising this matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Health, Deputy James Reilly. A significant reform programme has been under way in pre-hospital emergency services in recent years. The objective is to ensure that the best clinical care is provided for the people in each region served by the national ambulance service, NAS, through the provision of a clinically driven, nationally co-ordinated system, supported by improved technology.

As part of this process, the NAS has implemented a new model of pre-hospital care services for the people of south Kerry. This new model is for a region-wide service to replace the former local delivery structure, allowing for dynamic deployment and optimal use of emergency resources. It arose out of an analysis of the needs of the south Kerry area and the best use of emergency resources, including paramedics and advanced paramedics. The modernisation of service delivery in south Kerry followed a consultation process with interested groups in the region, including GPs, local public representatives and community groups. The plan was also informed by the modernisation that has already taken place in Cork.

The new structure, agreed between Health Service Executive management, union representatives and staff, provides numerous benefits for patients. The replacement of on-call with on-duty rostering brings service delivery in south Kerry in line with the majority of the region. On-duty rostering means that, during a shift, paramedic staff are at their bases or in their vehicles, ready to be dispatched immediately to answer 112 and 999 calls rather than waiting at home to be notified, with the delays that involves. Regional deployment of emergency vehicles and emergency personnel offers a wider availability of ambulance resources, to best serve the people of south Kerry. An intermediate care service for routine transfers of patients between acute and community hospitals, in line with best clinical practice, will free emergency vehicles in south Kerry for emergency work. Killarney, Caherciveen and Kenmare ambulance stations will be retained as the locations for deployment in the south Kerry area.

In a modern emergency service, treatment begins when emergency staff arrive at the scene of an incident. Patients are assessed, treated and stabilised, before being transported to the most appropriate facility. The NAS has highly trained health professionals in south Kerry, at paramedic and advanced paramedic level, who can perform life-saving interventions and other skilled treatment at the scene, before moving the patient safely to an acute facility for further treatment. While some concerns have been raised regarding levels of cover at certain ambulance stations, I am assured by the NAS that the plan will greatly improve response times, as emergency ambulances will be available straight away and, where necessary, ambulances from adjacent stations will provide dynamic cover by moving to areas where cover is required.

The new arrangements I have outlined provide an extra 126 resource hours each week between Killarney, Kenmare and Caherciveen stations. The move to on-duty services means the entire south Kerry area will have a 24 hours a day, seven days a week emergency ambulance service. This will ensure the people of the region have timely access to highly-skilled paramedic and advanced paramedic staff, day or night.