On Monday I arranged a meeting between Minister for Health, Simon Harris and the North West Ambulance Group.
The Ambulance Group highlighted the geographic isolation of the North West Connemara area and the fact that the Clifden-based ambulance is often called into Galway City when a city-based ambulance is transporting patients. The Group requested that a manned-ambulance base be established in the area and asked Minister Harris to examine present issues regarding the use of the local Order of Malta ambulance in Leenane.
I think the meeting with the North West Connemara Ambulance Group was very constructive and provided Minister Harris with an excellent grasp of the challenges being faced by, and the concerns of, communities in North Connemara.
The Group set out clearly its objectives of improving response times of ambulances, of making an ambulance available for Connemara on a twenty-four hour basis and of securing financial assistance with the Community First Responder Scheme.
These are objectives which I think we all share and are committed to achieving. There has been progress in a number of these areas such as the permanent establishment of the air ambulance service – UHG accommodates over 40% of air ambulance call outs – by the previous Fine Gael-led government, the launch, by Minister Leo Varadkar in 2015, of a national network of Community First Responders, and the establishment of new ambulance bases at Tuam and Mulranny with over 50 extra paramedics.
These measures have been crucial in reducing pressure on the ambulance service and more importantly in saving lives. However, we must press on and build on this progress and I warmly welcome Minister Harris’ commitment to contact the PHECC – the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council.
I will continue to work with Minister Harris to achieve further progress on the issues raised by the North Connemara Ambulance Group.