Fifty new paramedic posts for west mulranny to benefit
The budget for the national ambulance service for 2015 has been increased by €5.4 million. In light of this, provision has been made for 50 paramedic posts in the west.
Some of these posts will be used to staff ambulance stations at Mulranny and Tuam. Others will be used to assist in the move from 'on-call' to 'on-duty' rostering.
On call rostering means paramedics remain at home waiting to be called out. This, on average, results in a 20 minute delay in dispatching the ambulance.
The move to on-duty rostering, where crews are in their stations or vehicles, ready to go immediately on dispatch, is a very positive development which is good for patients, commented Taoiseach Enda Kenny in announcing the funding boost.
The government, he confirmed, also intends to expand the number of community first response teams, particularly in more rural and sparsely populated areas. These are volunteer groups in the community who are registered and trained to a certified standard. The national ambulance service calls out a local responder to a cardiac emergency in an area. That responder gets to the scene before the arrival of the ambulance crew, applies their cardiac training and increases that person’s chance of survival.
Also of particular benefit to western counties is the emergency aeromedical support service. The service is specifically targeted at the midlands and west, and provides rapid access to appropriate treatment for very seriously ill patients where this might be difficult to achieve by road.
Mr. Kenny confirmed Minister for Health Leo Varadkar is currently looking at proposals to establish the service on a permanent basis and he is in discussions the Minister for Defence, Simon Coveney.
Added Mr. Kenny: “I am very glad that 50 new paramedic posts have been established for the west. The government will continue to work in this area to improve the health service in all regions of the country, including rural and isolated communities, many of which are in the west.”