Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 207: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if, in view of recent cases of delays in getting patients to hospital, she will review the level of ambulance cover that is available to the people of County Clare and the arrangements that are in place since the closure of night time accident and emergency at Ennis General Hospital; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19853/09]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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The first phase of the reconfiguration of acute hospital services in the HSE Mid West involves the reorganisation of the arrangements in Ennis and Nenagh so that these hospitals provide an urgent care/minor injuries service for 12 hours a day as part of a regional Accident and Emergency structure. This took effect on the night of 6/7 April.

In the context of the re-configuration process, the level of staffing of the ambulance services in Clare and North Tipperary has been enhanced and an advanced 24-hour paramedic service is also now in operation. Advanced paramedics are trained to a high standard which equips them to provide more complex pre-hospital care than other personnel. This includes the administration of a wider range of drugs and the urgent assessment and treatment of patients with life threatening conditions.

Protocols are in place to ensure that all trauma, paediatric and obstetric emergency cases will be brought directly to the major tertiary centre at Limerick Regional Hospital rather than to Ennis or Nenagh. I am satisfied that the measures being taken by the HSE are necessary and appropriate in order to ensure the provision of safe and effective health services to the people of the Mid West region. My Department has asked the HSE to respond directly to the Deputy in relation to the detailed operational issue that she has raised.