Ambulance chief tries to reassure protesters

THE head of the country’s ambulance service has urged the people of West Cork not to believe “false and misleading information” which he claimed is being “pumped out by vested interests”.

Robert Morton, the director of the HSE’s National Ambulance Service, made his comments after more than 1,000 people from across the region marched against proposed changes to their ambulance service.

In his first public comment on the issue, Mr Morton insisted the changes are not about saving money or cutting costs.

He said the current on-call system is “archaic” and the move to an ‘on-duty’ system will ensure West Cork has a modern ambulance service that can meet strict HIQA guidelines on response times.

“The first thing I want to give to those people marching is reassurance. There is no need for public alarm,” Mr Morton said.

“We are acutely aware of the geography of the area and special consideration will be given to the peninsular regions. And the HSE is not in the business of putting in place services that are not safe. We have a mandate to improve services.”

However, campaigners insist the changes will result in the loss of lives.

Organisers of Saturday’s march in Skibbereen said the move to a paramedic on-call model will result in the loss of two of the four ambulances on call in the region, with Castletownbere and Skibbereen losing ambulance cover from 8pm to 8am. They are concerned that after reconfiguration, just two ambulances will be on call from 8pm to 8am to cover a region with a population of 82,000.

But Mr Morton insisted that if the changes are implemented, the region will have adequate emergency ambulance cover.

He said under the current system, ambulances are involved in routine patient transfers and can be out of the region for several hours.

Under the new plan, on-duty paramedics and advanced paramedics will be able to respond to emergencies in a rapid response vehicle, getting help to the patient fast.

But at Saturday’s march, Skibbereen GP Dr Gerard O’Shaughnessy, who said he was speaking on behalf of all West Cork GPs, said they are opposed to the changes.

“It borders on the incredulous that we have to gather in this way in 2011 to fight for what we believe are essential services,” he said.

“There is absolutely no ambiguity amongst me or my colleagues about our position in relation to these proposed cuts. We are totally opposed to them.

“They will adversely affect patient care and immediate care for very sick patients. If they go ahead, there will be an unsafe level of care during night-time hours.”

Skibbereen mother-of- four Majella Maxwell said: “This is down to money rather than patient needs.

“A couple of years ago I was putting my daughters to bed and they started jumping on the bed and one of them fell on the floor. She started having a seizure.

“The Skibbereen ambulance was there on the spot but she seemed fine and the seizure had stopped.

“The paramedics took her to Cork to be safe and she stopped breathing at the back of the ambulance.

“She came around but it is frightening to think what might have happened if an ambulance had not been available,” she said.

Spokeswoman for the Beara section of the campaign, Annemarie Cronin, said residents are extremely anxious because this is a “life and death situation”.

“It could make all the difference if a family member becomes seriously sick. You cannot put an advanced paramedic in a car in place of a people-carrying vehicle,” she said.

Among those marching on Saturday were TDs Noel Harrington, Michael McCarthy and Sandra McLellan, as well as Senator Denis O’Donovan.

Mayor of Skibbereen, Cllr Frank Fahy said campaigners hope to meet HSE and ambulance officials on December 12 in Skibbereen.

Fine Gael TD Mr Harrington said: “A lot of dialogue needs to happen to ensure that West Cork gets the best possible service.”

Mr Morton said the changes have been implemented in other regions and will be rolled out in east and north Cork in March. HSE officials are finalising the plan for West Cork but it will be at least eight months before it is implemented.