Ambulances at Swords

REGIONAL HEALTH FORUM – DUBLIN AND NORTH EAST

FÓRAM RÉIGIÚNACH SLÁINTE – BAILE ÁTHA CLIATH AGUS AN TOIRTHUAISCEART

22ND NOVEMBER, 2010

AGENDA ITEM NO. 3

MOTIONS

Motion:-

“That the Forum be provided with a report on the ambulance service for Swords, Co. Dublin and to detail any funding issues with the Dublin Fire Brigade Service.”

Submitted by the Fingal Councillors

Reply:

In relation to Emergency Ambulance Service delivery within the area, I can confirm that the HSE National Ambulance Service Eastern Division operates a 24 hour 365 Ambulance Service from its Ambulance Station in Lisenhall Swords.

This service can be supported if required by recourses from any of the other 10 Eastern Division Ambulance Stations and or the Dublin Fire Brigade Ambulance resource on dynamic or strategic deployment models. Also Ambulance Service motorcycle units can be deployed on a need basis or as a standard resource in the short, medium or long term. We also have various response models from Ambulance officers, who can respond if and when required.

As a National Ambulance Service, resources from the National Ambulance Service North East Division can also be deployed when required into the area, as can resources from other divisions on request.

The introduction of Advanced Medical Priority Dispatch System within the Regional Command and Control Centre, at Townsend Street, allows for appropriate categorization of calls verses appropriate response models and this will also assist in the timely levels of response. All of the above will assure service delivery and non compromising of patient care.

In relation to funding issues with Dublin City Council, the HSE currently has an arrangement in place with Dublin City Council for the provision of 11 ambulances to operate on behalf of the HSE in a predefined area. This area was initially defined as a result of the Review of Ambulance Services in Ireland conducted in 1993. To date, the HSE has not made any request to DCC to change the location of those 11 ambulances.

The issue of the withdrawal of services from the Swords area by Dublin City Council is a matter for the Council and I am not in a position to comment. Dublin fire brigade have never been funded by HSE to provide ambulance service in Swords as we already do this ourselves from our base at Lisenhall, Swords. We fund all other ambulances provided by DFB in Dublin. DFB put an ambulance base in their fire station in Swords at their own expense. They have given us notice that they will be withdrawing this service due to their cost saving measures, nothing to do with our budget situation.

Martin Dunne
Chief Ambulance Officer
HSE Dublin North West

Tel: (01) 6201400
E-mail: martin.dunne@hse.ie

PS. Bill reports, This issue was dealt with by me proposing a motion to ask the City Manager John Tierney and Treasurer Cathy Quinn to give an itemised bill to the HSE. The HSE Forum members would then organise a resolution to the problem by bringing together both sets of administrators. At Dublin City Council tonight, Mr John Tierney said that he figure owed by the HSE for ambulance services is about €3 million.