Lack of staff ‘risking lives’
Morale among ambulance personnel in the county has been described as being at an all-time low after a meeting between staff and Siptu where grave concerns were expressed about the lack of staff.
Concerns have been expressed that large areas of Clare are being regularly left without ambulance cover while paramedics claim they are short by up to 19 personnel with the service struggling to find cover for shifts.
Siptu industrial organiser Ted Kenny said: “Morale is at an all-time low in Clare and paramedics are very concerned about staffing levels, ageing vehicles, lack of ambulance cover and other issues.”
“When the A&E department in Ennis closed in April 2009 certain agreements were made and agreements put in place. A rapid response vehicle was put in place when the A&E department closed but that was off the road between 15 and 20 times in July,” he added.
Last December, a woman waited in agony for almost two hours while an ambulance was sent 120km from another county to take her another 80km to hospital.
“Since the A&E department in Ennis closed ambulances are transporting patients to Limerick and Galway. If an ambulance from Clare is sent to Galway they are then being utilised by the new control centre in Tallaght to cover calls in Galway and large parts of Clare are being left without cover for several hours,” said Mr Kenny.
“Most paramedics in Clare are from the county or have lived there for many years and they are very concerned that their good friends, relations and people in the community are being put at risk,” he said.
Paramedics are also concerned about the age profile of the vehicles they have to drive.
“There’s a 2005 ambulance in Clare with 419,000km on the clock and a 2008 vehicle with 470,000km. Members are very concerned about this,” Mr Kenny added.
In June, an ambulance transporting a seriously ill patient to hospital in Limerick broke down on the M18 motorway near Shannon. The man was later pronounced dead in hospital.
“There are a lot of serious issues here and I’ll be asking senior management to address them. If this doesn’t happen, our members will consider industrial action,” Mr Kenny warned.
A comment was awaited from the National Ambulance Service.
