HSE agrees to retain West Cork ambulances

The HSE has bowed to public pressure and agreed to retain four ambulances in West Cork as part of a reconfiguration of the region’s ambulance service.

The region is also to get nine extra paramedics, Fine Gael Cork South West TD Noel Harrington said last night.

He made the announcement just days after the Irish Examiner revealed fresh talks between the HSE and unions were under way in a bid to break the impasse.

Under the initial reconfiguration plan, which will see paramedics moving from on-call to an on-duty model, the HSE had planned to replace one of the region’s four ambulances with an emergency response vehicle.

However, campaigners opposing elements of the reconfiguration said West Cork posed specific geographic challenges and that it was crucial to retain four patient-carrying ambulances.

The HSE declined to comment on the detail of the talks but said union representatives were consulting with their members.

Last night, Mr Harrington said the HSE had confirmed changes to the region’s ambulance service which “will ensure the retention of four ambulances”.

The changes will provide for an enhanced advanced paramedic transport ambulance in Bantry as well as a non-emergency routine transfer ambulance, also to be based in Bantry, he said. He said these changes and an expanding air ambulance service should reassure the people of West Cork that their needs are being met.

Meanwhile, cash-strapped local authorities have begun invoicing the HSE for calling the fire brigade to help ambulance crews.

The HSE has confirmed it is in talks with the Department of the Environment to establish if the ambulance service can request fire service assistance without fear of being sent a massive bill later.

If paramedics attend an emergency and feel they require help from the fire service, department guidelines say there should be a “zero” response from the brigade for “ambulance assist” calls.

If gardaí request assistance from the fire brigade, the guidelines dictate that at least one fire appliance should be mobilised. If the fire service responds to an ambulance assist call, the local authority bills the HSE. The HSE is refusing to honour the bills, sources said.