Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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635. To ask the Minister for Health the findings of the Health Service Executive’s evaluation of the impact of the introduction of this new model of service delivery of pre-hospital emergency care services in County Cork and County Kerry; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23873/13]

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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A significant reform programme has been underway in recent years in pre-hospital care services, to ensure a clinically driven, nationally co-ordinated system, supported by improved technology. The programme involves a number of measures, including the Performance Improvement Action Plan, development of the intermediate care service, the trial emergency aeromedical service (EAS), and the NAS Control Centre Reconfiguration Project. In particular, the National Ambulance Service (NAS) is developing staff clinical skills in line with the development of paramedic professional qualifications by the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council.

The NAS is a forward-looking service. It deploys its emergency resources in a dynamic manner and on an area and national, rather than a local, basis. It has been, and still is, undergoing major transformation, including in terms of clinical skills and work practices, application of technology and modernisation of management and infrastructure. Many of these initiatives are still in train and I am confident that they will result in improvements in the treatment available in pre-hospital care to seriously ill and injured patients.

In relation to the specific query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter it has been referred to the HSE for direct reply.