Review gets private ambulance firm barred

A LEADING private ambulance firm has effectively been barred from operating in Ireland after a string of staff competency, Garda vetting and re-training concerns were uncovered.

The Irish Examiner has learned Needford Limited has seen its connection to the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council (PHECC) severed as a direct result of problems revealed by a major review of the sector.

In April, the statutory body oversaw the first-ever national examination of standards among Ireland’s seven private ambulance firms.