Ambulance campaign escalates

CAMPAIGNERS fighting proposed cuts to West Cork’s ambulance service have accused the health minister of ignoring their plight.

The West Cork Save Our Service (SOS) group criticised Dr James Reilly last night as they announced a major escalation of their campaign, including a protest march through Skibbereen, and an email, letter, phone and text campaign aimed at the minister, and the region’s three TDs.

Campaign spokesman, Cllr Frank Fahy, the mayor of Skibbereen, criticised the minister for his failure to respond to their letter sent a month ago.

“The minister just isn’t listening to the concerns of thousands of people in West Cork,” he said.

“The last time we sent a letter to him, he ignored it for eight weeks. When we finally got an acknowledgement, it came from one of his officials.”

West Cork SOS was set up earlier this year after HSE proposals to slash the region’s ambulance cover emerged following a Labour Court ruling on the on-call allowance in the ambulance service.

The HSE then drafted proposals to cut 24-hour ambulance cover in parts of the HSE South region.

If implemented, the proposals would leave the entire West Cork region, with a population of 82,000, with just two ambulances overnight — one based in Bantry and one in Clonakilty. Two rapid response vehicles would be based full time in the region.

There are also fears that a special injuries assessment unit at Bantry General Hospital is to close overnight from next January.

Mr Fahy said it is time to up the political pressure with a protest march in Skibbereen at 12.30pm on Saturday, November 26.

And he urged people to get involved in the group’s email, letter, phone and text campaign targeting the local TDs, Jim Daly (FG), Noel Harrington (FG), and Michael McCarthy (Labour), as well as Dr Reilly.

Last night, Mr Daly said he shares the SOS committee’s frustration about the minister’s delay in replying to their letter.

But he said he also shares their desire for “absolute clarity from the minister on this important issue”.

“The people of West Cork deserve nothing less than a full and unequivocal commitment from the minister that they will receive the very highest standards of emergency care and the sooner this commitment and clarity is received the better,” he said.

* www.westcorksos.com