Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 969: To ask the Minister for Health his plans to improve the availability and affordability of transport links to hospitals and health centres in respect of persons who are not well served by transport options or live in rural areas. [23821/11]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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The National Ambulance Service (NAS) provides pre-hospital emergency care and emergency and some non-emergency patient transport. Clearly, the priority for the NAS is emergency care, including transporting sick patients between hospitals.

The HSE also provides non-urgent transport, using either ambulances or private providers. Non-emergency transport comprises planned inter-hospital transfers and patient transport to and from health facilities.

I have been informed by the NAS that the HSE Interim Board has recently approved a new national policy on non-ambulance patient transport services. The key benefits of this policy, in terms of improving equity of access will be;

· Nationally consistent eligibility criteria

· Standardised decision making on approval

· Provision of services within available budgets by ensuring that authorising officers are accountable for the related expenditure

· Involvement of health care professionals in the decision making process

· Significant focus on those most in need

The new national policy is being implemented and is expected to be fully operational by the end of this year.

Scarce resources for emergency transport cannot continue to be expended on non-emergency transport without clear criteria in place, based on clinical need. ere must be a consistent approach across the country instead of the differing practices.

The NAS has undergone significant change in order to ensure quality, safety and value for money. In line with other clinical areas, this process is ongoing, as clinical needs and standards develop. I believe that these developments are in the best interests of patients, and that they are a key part of the Government's work to ensure high quality emergency care.

Regarding the affordability of patient transport services, the HSE does not charge patients deemed eligible for the provision of HSE funded services.