Reilly ‘in denial’ over ambulance service crisis

Health Minister Dr James Reilly has been accused of suffering from a “frightening” level of denial over Ireland’s ambulance crisis after a series of scandals were highlighted in the system.

The claim was made by opposition TDs during a Dáil debate on the state of the country’s health service yesterday.

Answering questions from opposition parties after an RTÉ exposé revealed how just one in three emergency ambulance call-outs reach patients on time and that some managers are allegedly using rapid response vehicles as private cars, Dr Reilly insisted the problems are not as bad as they appear.

However, despite pointing to increased investment and how he has already brought forward an independent review to examine whether the service is able to meet demand by three months, TDs warned the problems are effectively being ignored.

“You tell me not to talk about doom and gloom, but this relates to members of my own family,” shouted Sinn Féin health spokesperson Caoimghín Ó Caoláin in a tense exchange with the minister.

“What are you going to do about the HSE management of this service? It is not about the quality of those working at the coalface,” he said.

After United Left Alliance TD Clare Daly told Dr Reilly “your denial of the situation is frightening”, Fianna Fáil’s Barry Cowen said the reality is “people, will not listen” to the minister’s statistics anymore because he has done “nothing” to improve the situation.

Responding to the claims, Dr Reilly said “while I am not saying the service cannot be improved”, the issues are being addressed.

He said the annual budget for the HSE’s national ambulance service has increased from €128.7m in 2012 to €137m this year, and again stressed vehicles used by managers have attended over 600 incidents since the start of this year.

Addressing Mr Cowen’s claim that people do not want to hear the minister’s statistics, he added: “I believe people will listen, but maybe you don’t want to.”

A Health Information Quality Authority capacity review is due to be completed by early summer.

It was brought forward by Dr Reilly at the start of this year after reports seriously ill people were waiting up to an hour for ambulances — forcing some to seek alternative routes to hospital.