Billy Kelleher (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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19. To ask the Minister for Health his plans for the ambulance service; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2392/15]

Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael)
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Our ambulance services are undergoing significant development and performance is improving. There has been significant upskilling of ambulance personnel, greater use of technology, improved response times, development of clinical protocols to promote better outcomes and dedicated aeromedical, paediatric and neonatal retrieval services. There is much development under way to further improve the outcomes achieved by the National Ambulance Service.

Response times only measure one aspect of ambulance performance. The overall goal is to improve outcomes for patients, so that lives are saved and disabilities are avoided. Response times do not indicate when treatment was commenced or the outcomes achieved by our highly trained paramedics in deploying their skills. In 2014, the National Ambulance Service introduced a patient outcome target for out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, and more are being developed. These will provide truer measures of the performance of our ambulance service.

It is important, in any event, to note that response time performance is improving, in spite of increasing demands on services. In October 2014, ECHO calls, for life-threatening cardiac and respiratory events, rose by 5% compared to 2013 and DELTA calls, for other life-threatening incidents, rose by 10%. Despite this, an ambulance arrived within the target time for 76% of ECHO calls and 67% of DELTA calls - an improvement of 3.3% and 4% respectively, which means that treatment by paramedics and advanced paramedics is reaching more patients, more quickly.

Achieving response time targets in rural and some urban settings is difficult for any ambulance service. In its recent report on ambulance services, HIQA recommended different rural and urban response targets. I also understand that a draft summary of the National Capacity Review, circulated to the Joint Committee on Health and Children, suggests that the response targets recommended by HIQA cannot be met, even with substantially increased resources. However, that report is not finalised and I cannot give a considered view at this stage.

In 2015, a €5.4m budget increase will help improve services, particularly in the west, by reforming rostering and staffing additional stations. The Emergency Aeromedical Service has completed over 800 missions, and will continue to provide rapid access to treatment for very ill patients. We will also expand community first response, particularly in more rural and sparsely populated areas.

We are working to improve the service though the finalisation of the single national control centre. The Intermediate Care Service continues to free up frontline ambulances, and we are focussed on improving hospital turnaround times.

The three current reviews of our ambulance service will provide us with very good information to improve services. I have asked the HSE to prepare an action plan on completion of the three reports, with timelines to realise a new vision for our ambulance services, which will build upon recent achievements.