Call for services review after ambulance delay in getting to home

THE Dublin coroner has recommended that emergency services in the south-east be reviewed to ensure ambulances are properly directed to patients’ homes.

Dr Brian Farrell made the recommendation at Dublin Coroner’s Court on foot of the inquest into the death of five-year-old Áine Kennedy of Gorey, Co Wexford, after hearing evidence that a triage nurse had trouble directing the ambulance crew to her family’s rural home.

On the morning of April 26 last year, Áine woke up with a very high temperature. Her parents contacted Caredoc (the out of hours service in the south-east) and spoke with a triage nurse who called an ambulance. However, she had difficulty in locating the home and it was decided that the Kennedys would take Áine to Ferns to meet the ambulance. This was later changed to Gorey Ambulance Centre.