Problems with ambulance cover in Louth raised in Seanad
This decides which crews and where should respond to the 1200, 999 calls the National Ambulance Services receives across the country every day.
However the system has a tendency to occasionally over prioritise what later emerges as non emergency calls leaving places like Drogheda without any ambulance crews.
Now the Seanad is to summon the Health Minister Jennifer McNeil Carroll to appear before it to explain what exactly is going on.
Senator Comyn told the Seanad: "I want to raise an issue of serious concern that was reported in the Drogheda Independent this week relating to ambulance cover in Drogheda and the wider north-east region.
"Paramedics quoted in the article say that Drogheda is regularly left without a local ambulance as crews are being dispatched long distances for non-urgent calls that could and should be managed differently.
"The core issue appears to be the advanced medical priority dispatch system, AMPDS which paramedics say is over triaging and sending highly trained emergency responders to calls for things like shaving cuts, stomach aches and high temperatures while real time critical emergencies go uncovered.
"This has created a real fear among frontline responders that a life threatening emergency could occur with no unit available to respond quickly."
She said she knows the National Ambulance Service has defended AMPDS on clinical grounds but the concerns raised by the paramedics in the DI are credible and come from professionals working on the ground.
She stated: "An awareness campaign highlighting alternatives for patients would be timely. Patients can use GPs, go to their local pharmacist or use the doctor on call service..
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"There is a misconception that getting an ambulance to the accident and emergency department will get a patient seen sooner but that is not always the case.
"There issues deserve constructive and transparent discussion. For that reason I ask that the MInister for Health Deputy Carroll McNeil come before the House to address these concerns, clarify how AMPDS is being monitored on a nationwide basis and assure communities in the north east and around the country that they will not be left exposed in moments of serious crisis."
The Leader of the Seanard Senator Sean Kyne said Alison Comyn had raised an" interesting" case in terms of the over-triaging of ambulance calls which means the more urgent calls are not being dealt with.
He said: "I will certainly request a debate with the Minister for Health on the ambulance service."
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6 days ago
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Problems with ambulance cover in Louth raised in Seanad
It follows the revelation on last week that the town has been left with no ambulance on occasions due to difficulties with the Advanced Medical Priority Dispatch System. This decides which crews and where should respond to the 1200, 999 calls the National Ambulance Services receives across the country every day. However the system has a tendency to occasionally over prioritise what later emerges as non emergency calls leaving places like Drogheda without any ambulance crews. Now the Seanad is to summon the Health Minister Jennifer McNeil Carroll to appear before it to explain what exactly is going on. Senator Comyn told the Seanad: "I want to raise an issue of serious concern that was reported in the Drogheda Independent this week relating to ambulance cover in Drogheda and the wider north-east region. "Paramedics quoted in the article say that Drogheda is regularly left without a local ambulance as crews are being dispatched long distances for non-urgent calls that could and should be managed differently. "The core issue appears to be the advanced medical priority dispatch system, AMPDS which paramedics say is over triaging and sending highly trained emergency responders to calls for things like shaving cuts, stomach aches and high temperatures while real time critical emergencies go uncovered. "This has created a real fear among frontline responders that a life threatening emergency could occur with no unit available to respond quickly." She said she knows the National Ambulance Service has defended AMPDS on clinical grounds but the concerns raised by the paramedics in the DI are credible and come from professionals working on the ground. She stated: "An awareness campaign highlighting alternatives for patients would be timely. Patients can use GPs, go to their local pharmacist or use the doctor on call service.. ADVERTISEMENT Learn more "There is a misconception that getting an ambulance to the accident and emergency department will get a patient seen sooner but that is not always the case. "There issues deserve constructive and transparent discussion. For that reason I ask that the MInister for Health Deputy Carroll McNeil come before the House to address these concerns, clarify how AMPDS is being monitored on a nationwide basis and assure communities in the north east and around the country that they will not be left exposed in moments of serious crisis." The Leader of the Seanard Senator Sean Kyne said Alison Comyn had raised an" interesting" case in terms of the over-triaging of ambulance calls which means the more urgent calls are not being dealt with. He said: "I will certainly request a debate with the Minister for Health on the ambulance service."
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