Cuts to Cork and Kerry ambulance services could see 'dangerously extended response times'

The plans, announced suddenly to the union on Friday by National Ambulance Service (NAS) management, follow a decision by the HSE to cut funding. Picture: Domnick Walsh © Eye Focus LTD

The people of Cork and Kerry are facing “detrimental” cuts to their ambulance services if management plans to cut back cover is implemented, union officials have warned.

Siptu has completely rejected cooperation with the roster changes, which are set to begin on Monday week, September 23.

The plans, announced suddenly to the union on Friday by National Ambulance Service (NAS) management, follow a decision by the HSE to cut funding.

The measures are set to cut services in Castletownbere, Skibbereen, Clonakilty, Mallow, Millstreet, Macroom, Kanturk and Fermoy in Cork and Tralee, Dingle, Listowel, Killarney, Kenmare and Caherciveen in Kerry.

“We are 100% not going to accept this,” Siptu assistant industrial organiser Rory Hawkins told the Irish Examiner.

“There is an IR process there to be followed and we made that clear to management [on Friday]. We are not talking about monetary gain for our members – this is about the service to the community that will be affected.” 

Union officials were presented with the plans at a meeting on Friday, which Siptu said was supposed to be an opportunity for new representatives and new managers to meet each other.

In a letter sent after the meeting to general manager for NAS (Southwest) Robert Moriarty, Mr Hawkins said that what was presented was a “unilateral change” of work practice.

“This instruction will have a direct effect not only on our members' established work practices but also have a detrimental effect on communities that will no longer have an ambulance on certain days of the week,” Mr Hawkins said.

It will also increase the workload of the ambulance that will be on the road in both Cork and Kerry as they will have a greater geographical area to cover and will only result in longer response times.” 

He said management need to sit down with union officials and shop stewards to discuss the issue.

The cuts are the result of a HSE decision to no longer fund non-rostered days (NRD), which is where staff are taken from a relief panel, or through overtime, to fill the place of a member who is on a relief day at home.

The ambulance crews work on a two-person basis.

If the relief system is no longer there, it means that a crew member would have to travel from the likes of Killarney to Kenmare to fill a two-person crew.

Sources have said this means that shifts will be “consolidated” in each base, so that, in a typical station, “one entire day shift per week will be dropped”.

According to Siptu, from September 23, the planned changes in Kerry will be:

• Tralee – one crew only on Monday night;
• Dingle – no crew Tuesday day shift;
• Listowel – no crew Wednesday day shift;
• Killarney – no crew Thursday day shift;
• Kenmare – no crew Monday day shift;
• Caherciveen – no crew Wednesday day shift 

In Cork the planned changes will be:

• Castletownbere – no crew on Tuesday day shift;
• Skibbereen – no crew Monday day shift;
• Clonakilty – no crew Thursday day shift;
• Mallow - dropped shift on Monday;
• Millstreet - dropped shift on Tuesday;
• Macroom - dropped shift on Wednesday;
• Kanturk - dropped shift Thursday;
• Fermoy - dropped shift Wednesday.

One paramedic said: “This decision involves the removal of relief shifts, significantly reducing ambulance services on certain days in numerous regions. 

This change, made without proper consultation, will not only severely impact frontline ambulance workers but also put public safety at serious risk nationally.” 

Another source said: “Communities will now face days without any ambulance cover, leaving them vulnerable in emergency situations. Areas that are already understaffed will be forced to stretch their resources even further, potentially leading to disastrous consequences.” 

Sources explain that crews will have to cover much large geographical areas resulting in potentially “dangerously extended response times”.

The Irish Examiner understands that there are in the region of 300 personnel in the NAS service in Cork and Kerry, which sources said is around 50 less than it should be.

It is thought that HSE has informed the NAS that the current numbers, including positions that are vacant, is the new whole time equivalent (WTE) staffing for the service.

Estimates of the fund for the relief system is calculated to be in the hundreds of millions of euro.

Sources said this was "not just a regional issue" and could extend to much of the country.

The HSE said the National Ambulance Service is consulting with unions on "the best use of all available staffing hours in the South West (Cork and Kerry) within our approved resource level".

"This is to ensure that staffing hours are effectively deployed to cover all forms of leave and that the approved level of service for NAS can be maintained during all leave and training arrangements without relying on excessive overtime, which can be detrimental to staff wellbeing. 

"This is being done on a phased basis over September and October but please be assured that the NAS service level in the South West has not been reduced below our approved resource level."

Sinn Féin TD for Cork South Central Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire has claimed an ambulance took 85 minutes to reach Páirc Uí Rinn on Friday night when a Glenville player was injured at Kinsale v Glenville.

“85 minutes for an ambulance to come is far, far too long," he said. 

"Unfortunately we are hearing too many examples of this in Cork and right across the country. The National Ambulance Service staff are phenomenal but they are stretched to breaking point.

"I understand the medical staff at the ground did an excellent job while awaiting the support of the ambulance staff, and I wish the player a quick recovery.”