Looming ambulance strike action could and should have been avoided - Mayo TD

THE upcoming strike action by National Ambulance Service workers could and should have been avoided if the government and HSE management had acted sooner to address the long-standing issues facing frontline ambulance staff, says Mayo Sinn Féin TD Rose Conway-Walsh.

Sinn Féin fully support ambulance workers in their dispute, she said, and understand the pressures they are under every day to deliver lifesaving treatment to patients right across the country.

Said Deputy Conway-Walsh: “Ambulance workers are on the frontline of emergency healthcare and I have seen firsthand the incredible work they do for people and families across Mayo and the west of Ireland.

“These workers save lives every single day, often in the most difficult and stressful circumstances imaginable, yet they continue to be failed by government inaction and chronic understaffing.

“The reality is that we do not have enough ambulance crews and the crews we do have are overworked and being stretched to their limits. Recruitment and retention problems have left services under immense pressure, particularly in rural counties like Mayo.

“The upcoming strike action should not be happening. It could and should have been avoided if there had been genuine goodwill and meaningful engagement from the Government, the HSE and NAS management.”

She continued: “In Mayo, we know only too well the importance of having properly resourced ambulance services. Delays in emergency response times can have devastating consequences for families and communities.

“The death of Stephen Lavelle earlier this year remains a stark reminder of the urgent need to invest in ambulance services and ensure communities can rely on timely emergency care when they need it most.

“Paramedics, EMTs, advanced paramedics and ambulance personnel need a properly funded workforce plan, fair recognition for their skills and responsibilities, and the full implementation of outstanding recommendations from the 2020 review of the service.

“The Minister for Health must intervene, show leadership and work to bring this dispute to a resolution before further damage is done to pre-hospital emergency care services.”