Fury as free ambulance service cancelled

FREE transport services for patients without medical cards in Galway, Mayo and Roscommon have been withdrawn by the Health Service Executive (HSE).

Yesterday, the HSE confirmed it would end its long-standing practice of providing free ambulance transport for all patients, blaming the decision on budgetary constraints.

It also blamed the decision on high demand for free transport, which it said was starting to threaten more urgent ambulance operations.&&

“This level of demand cannot be sustained and is affecting the core ambulance service of providing an accident and emergency service to the community,” said a statement from the HSE.

However, Fine Gael senator for Roscommon, Frank Feighan, condemned the move and called on the HSE to review its decision.

Speaking in the Seanad yesterday, Mr Feighan described the move as “diabolical”, saying it would penalise patients in rural areas who had the greatest transport needs.

“This is a retrograde step which will punish the weakest of patients — including oncology, transplant and dialysis patients. The latter two categories of patient will be particularly hit as their treatment is not covered by private health insurance,” he said.

The senator questioned the removal of a service “which has been the practice for 40 years” when the Government claims it’s awash with money.

The HSEWA said it had no statutory responsibility to provide transport for patients attending HSE services and such services were subject to the availability of funding. It said the demand on the service had grown to the extent it could no longer afford to provide it free of charge.

“This is a discretionary service. The demand for patient transport services has grown to an extraordinary extent over the past five years. In the last year there has been an increase of activity of 48%, with a subsequent cost increase of 51% over the previous year,” the HSE statement said.

The HSE said it had to prioritise the provision of transport to patients and that all successful applicants must now have a medical card and be in one of the following patient categories: oncology, dialysis or transplant — as well as patients classified as having with acute lower limb injuries.

Ironically, at a time when free patient transport services are being curtailed in the west, the Government has finally given approval for the construction of a new €50 million community hospital and ambulance base in north Galway.

The old Grove Hospital in Tuam has been lying idle since it was closed five years ago and people living in the town and surrounding areas have been forced to travel to Galway for treatment.

The Department of Health is due to announce the approval of the Tuam Health Campus project in the Dáil this afternoon. It will be funded through a new private-public partnership.