HSE insists town will have full ambulance cover

The HSE says there will be full staff cover in place for one of West Cork’s busiest 999 ambulance bases this weekend.

The reassurance comes days after concerns were raised earlier that Skibbereen could be without ambulance cover because of staff sick leave.

The West Cork SOS campaigners, who are fighting plans to reconfigure the ambulance service, said the town’s ambulance couldn’t function properly on Monday because the HSE failed to fill the shift of a paramedic who is out on sick leave.

The HSE accepted the shift wasn’t filled but insisted the town was not disadvantaged, with paramedics and neighbouring ambulance crews on standby.

But the campaigners said they feared the sick leave situation and the unfilled shift would continue right through the weekend.

The HSE moved yesterday to ease local concerns.

“Currently there is full cover in place for Skibbereen for the weekend,” a spokesperson insisted.

It is understood they have drafted in a replacement paramedic to work the shifts of the individual on sick leave.

West Cork SOS spokesman Cllr Frank Fahy welcomed the development.

The HSE has introduced a ‘strategic deployment’ pilot project in East Cork which it aims to roll out across the region.

Instead of basing an ambulance in a particular town, the new deployment will lead to all stations supporting each other.

It means the nearest available ambulance responds to an emergency call, regardless of where it is based.