Ambulance service chiefs concerned over skill shortage

National ambulance service managers say they do not have the skills to do their jobs.

Their concerns were expressed to the State’s health service watchdog.

Chief executive of the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA), Phelim Quinn, said a number of key senior managers told inspectors they had “some degree of discomfort” about the jobs they had found themselves in.

“They expressed to us some concern that they did not have the technical competencies required for these senior leadership positions,” said Mr Quinn.

“This is a very important service for the Irish public and we believe that the HSE, in appointing people, need to be absolutely assured that the people appointed have the appropriate technical competencies and other leadership and management competencies required for those roles.”

Mr Quinn, who was speaking on RTÉ radio yesterday, said senior ambulance service managers also said they had no specific job description for the roles they occupied.

A number of the managers said there had been significant movement and turnover within some of the senior positions, particularly the director’s position, over the last three years.

HIQA has asked the HSE to review the job descriptions of all senior management and to provide leadership development training for all senior managers.

Responding to HIQA’s concerns, the HSE said it was not supplied with any information or data other than the review report supporting the conclusions drawn by the authority.

The HSE said all staff had job descriptions and performance was reviewed in line with policy.

Cork Fine Gael Senator Colm Burke described HIQA’s report on the ambulance service as “shocking”.

“It clearly identified that there were people in jobs who acknowledged to the HIQA staff that they did not have the requisite skills to do those jobs.”

The Oireachtas committee is to meet with representatives of the HSE on Tuesday, December 16.