Ambulance transport service hit by cutbacks

CLOSE to 600 patients in need of life-saving cancer and dialysis treatment face no longer being ferried to and from treatment by ambulance due to cutbacks in patient transport services.

Bill Forbes, assistant chief ambulance officer in the Health Service Executive (HSE) West, has written to a number of hospital managers warning the service will be withdrawn from July 1.

According to Mr Forbes, the Ambulance Service Transport Budget for 2011 has been spent, including expenditure on dialysis and cancer care services.