Officials to meet over warnings on ambulance service

Senior officials with the National Ambulance Service will next week meet with GPs, healthcare professionals, community leaders, and politicians amid warnings a restructured service will cost lives in Kerry.

Concerns about Killarney’s ambulance service will be discussed with the NAS area operations manager, William Merriman.

One of the key fears is that a locally based ambulance is being tasked to emergencies in parts of north Cork, thus limiting its availability in the tourist town and surrounding areas.

Last Saturday, ambulances from Mallow, Macroom, and Kenmare were called to the scene of a traffic accident outside Killarney as no ambulance was available locally.

Three full-time ambulances are available on a 24-hour basis in south Kerry, with additional emergency vehicles covering Killarney, Kenmare, and Caherciveen.

Killarney lost its second ambulance, which was replaced by an intermediate care vehicle.

Local politicians insist lives are being put at risk. They argue that Killarney attracts thousands of people, with a population that can treble during the tourist season, all creating more likely demands for a 24/7 locally based ambulance.

Cllr John Joe Culloty (FF) claimed somebody was going to die because the ambulance was spending too much of its time answering callouts in north Cork, and was sometimes away for two to three hours.

Independent TD Michael Healy-Rae claimed the demands in north Cork had been created by the removal of an ambulance from Millstreet, now serviced by a rapid response vehicle.

Fianna Fáil senator Mark Daly called for the findings of the NAS review of the changes to be made public.

In one case earlier this month, a seriously ill woman in a rural part of east Kerry was left waiting for an ambulance for 45 minutes. She died later in hospital and, while her death was not attributed to any ambulance delay, politicians pointed out she would not have waited longer than 10 minutes if an ambulance was available in Killarney.

The NAS insists it provides a safe, patient-centred service, adding that it continually evaluates its services in line with available resources and demands.

A spokesperson said NAS works on an area and national basis, as opposed to a local basis, and sets out to ensure the nearest available ambulance is sent to the scene of an incident.