Mayo TD appeals for urgent review of ambulance dispatch system

A Mayo TD has highlighted the strong requirement for an urgent review of the advanced medical priority dispatch system to determine its effectiveness within the National Ambulance Service.

Recent information supplied to Deputy Alan Dillon has indicated that average waiting times for category one calls within the western region have, in fact, increased from 20 minutes in 2018 to 23 minutes in 2021 - a 15% increase in average waiting times.

The advanced medical priority dispatch system effectively re-routes ambulances on existing call-outs to more urgent cases appears to be causing greater inefficiencies versus the intended purpose of increasing efficiency and effectiveness of the ambulance service.

Deputy Dillon said: “While the introduction of providing the ambulance service on a national level and the utilisation of the advanced medical priority dispatch system may seem incredible on paper, the reality is appearing to be the opposite.

"While there is plenty of suggestions that this model represents international best practice, what I am experiencing is there are no shortage of people around Mayo and further afield to say the service is worsening.

“I have queried the National Ambulance Service (NAS) on a number of occasions and they have confirmed that the capacity of the NAS was last reviewed in 2014.

"Since then, over 500 staff have been recruited so it would be expected the service should be improving but this is not the case as per their own metrics and key performance indicators.

"The NAS have confirmed they believe a further capacity analysis is required to inform future workforce planning and in this regard, the NAS has commissioned an independent analysis of demand and capacity to develop the evidence base to support workforce planning requirements.

"I feel this, too, should be extended to the advanced medical priority dispatch system.

“The movement of ambulance services to a national level is resulting in crazy real-life scenarios where ambulances are spending seven or eight hours on the road travelling between five or six different call-outs, and yet may only end-up transporting a single patient to hospital.

"It seems that ambulances are criss-crossing the country and you do not have to be a genius to know that this is not efficient or cost-effective.

"I cannot begin to imagine how frustrating this must be for personnel working in the ambulance service.

“I have also been contacted by a private ambulance provider with constructive and meaningful suggestions that should be given serious consideration by the National Ambulance, the HSE and Health Minister, Stephen Donnelly.

These includes suggestions on better use of the intermediate care service, reconfiguring ambulance crews, deployment of ambulance flow officers to emergency departments, increased medical training for fire fighters, utilisation of private ambulances in emergency situations and linking their ambulance in with the control room of the NAS are some of the suggestions.

"The most important one in my view is the expansion and promotion of 'a Good Samaritan Act'.

"I understand something similar already features in the Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2011 but this should be promoted to increase awareness and expanded if necessary.

"For the record, I have shared these suggestions with the NAS, but I was very dissatisfied with their response.”