Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

288. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to improve the ambulance service in the north east; if his attention has been drawn to recent incidents whereby undue delays occurred and the concern of local communities in counties Cavan and Monaghan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4914/17]

Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The National Ambulance Service has undergone a programme of modernisation in recent years and a number of significant service innovations and developments have taken place. These include the establishment of the National Emergency Operations Centre, a state of the art facility from which all call taking and resource dispatch is now undertaken.

There has been substantial investment in new technology and fleet to help improve ambulance service provision. The Intermediate Care Service has been introduced to provide inter-hospital transfers for lower acuity patients and this is freeing up more emergency ambulances for the more urgent calls.

Service improvements will continue in 2017 with the recruitment and training of additional staff, the development of alternative care pathways such as Hear and Treat, and the implementation of the Electronic Patient Care Record (ePCR).

With regard to the specific query raised by the Deputy, as this is a service matter I have asked the HSE to respond to you directly.