Ambulance cover a cause for concern, says union

The union representing paramedics claims there is a lack of cover for shifts and resources are stretched. File Picture. 

The state of the country’s main ambulance service is a “cause for concern”, particularly in the Munster region, according to the union which represents paramedics.

It has claimed that shifts are being missed and that cover is unavailable for some shifts.

The ambulance branch of the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) said there is “growing evidence” the National Ambulance Service’s use of dynamic deployment - which sees ambulances redeployed in real time by clinical need - is causing “overruns” due to ambulances bypassing general hospitals in order to bring patients to more specialised institutions.

“This is putting increased pressure on an under-resourced ambulance service,” a spokesperson for the PNA said. 

We simply do not have the ambulance resources to meet demand and this is leading to areas being left without ambulances or having to have ambulances redeployed into a particular area to cover shortages.

They said the current situation is being exacerbated by Covid-19, which necessitates longer turnaround times for ambulance crews, both on scene and at hospitals.

The union said the issue is particularly difficult in Munster.

In late September, Jackie Cahill Fianna Fáil TD for Tipperary told the Dail of an ambulance shift, ostensibly based in Thurles, which was redirected to eight calls on a 12-hour shift, only one of which was in its home region. Only one of those calls was actually attended, with the ambulance repeatedly redeployed en route to destinations between 80km and 130km away as other units became available.

“It is nonsensical that an ambulance and paramedics will be pulled out of a town in the middle of Tipperary to go to a call in Arklow,” Mr Cahill said. 

“Generally the solution is to have more ambulances to meet the growing demands,” the PNA said. 

“Ireland is way behind other jurisdictions in ambulances per head of population. Scotland has 2.5 times the number we have here,” the spokesperson added.