Ambulance turnaround times in Mayo ‘worrying and dangerous’

AMBULANCE turnaround times for Mayo University Hospital are putting lives at risk, says Mayo Sinn Féin TD Rose Conway-Walsh.

She commented: “Figures obtained by Sinn Féin Health show that more than half of all ambulances have a turnaround time of more than an hour at Mayo University Hospital.

“Turnaround time is the time between an ambulance's arrival at a hospital and the crew handing over a patient.

“This means that more than half of all patients in Mayo are waiting over an hour in an ambulance after they have arrived.

“The average ambulance turnaround times locally are worrying and dangerous. It is clear that Mayo University Hospital and the Ambulance Service is under serious strain and pressure, which is exactly what healthcare workers in Mayo have been warning for years.”

Deputy Conway-Walsh continued: “The HSE targets turnaround times of below 30 minutes. In Mayo University Hospital less than 10 per cent are meeting that target.

“This causes real hardship for patients and puts their health at risk. It also has a knock on impact on the ambulance service’s ability to respond to new emergency calls.

“This is being caused by overcrowded Emergency Departments and a lack of hospital beds in the system. Many beds are occupied by patients waiting to be discharged but are unable to leave MUH due to a lack home help assistance and beds in community and district hospitals in Belmullet, Ballina and Swinford.

“People living in Mayo will be anxious about the impact of this for people who need urgent care locally.

“These figures must serve as a wake-up call. We need to see the hospital capacity in Mayo increased including the re-opening of community beds.

“There is also a need for urgent action to reform our National Ambulance Service where morale is low and recruitment and retention of key personnel is an identified risk.

“The Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, must publish and fund a multi-annual workforce plan to double the number of paramedics and to increase both training and retention in the service. The solutions are there and change can be delivered.”