Call for funds to overhaul vital 999 service

A woman whose brother died from stab wounds on New Year’s Day after it took an ambulance 30 minutes to arrive at the scene has called for vital funds to be made available to reform the over-stretched service.

Audrey McQuillan made the call as the Health Information Quality Authority prepares to launch a detailed report highlighting a series of dangerous flaws in the service later today.

The death of Ms McQuillan’s brother Wayne, along with other tragedies, led to then health minister, Dr James Reilly, asking HIQA to fast-track a report into the ambulance service by three months due to concerns gaps in the system were putting seriously ill people’s lives further at risk.