Ambulance base still off limits over lack of aerial

After years of having to endure ‘third world’ conditions, ambulance crews have still to move into the newly-built ambulance base at Merlin Park.

The Galway City Tribune understands that;s because an aerial – whichh would allow paramedics to receive communications on the Tetra radio system – has still not been installed, even though the €1.3 million building was handed over by contractors to the National Ambulance Service before Christmas.

One paramedic described the situation as bizarre.

For the last six years up to 80 staff spread throughout shifts have operated out of an almost derelict building which used to be the old fever hospital on the grounds of University Hospital Galway.

And social distancing has been almost impossible in what are very cramped conditions during the pandemic.

Previously the crews had been split between staff transferring patients to and from home based at UHG while crews responding to emergencies did so from a base at Merlin Park. But that building was condemned, and staff moved to the Newcastle site after a major influx of rats.

Galway City Councillor John Connolly had previously described the ambulance base as akin to third world facilities at a regional health forum west meeting.

Work began on the new Merlin Park base in August 2020 two years after planning permission was granted.

“We’ve been told that the new base was handed over before Christmas and was fully ready to move into but there’s still nobody there. We are still at the old fever hospital which is just not fit for purpose. On a busy Thursday there could be 22 staff in there. We have to eat our dinner in the hallway,” one paramedic revealed.

“What’s delaying it now is they never put in any aerial on the building so none of the radios will work so we can’t go in there which is absolutely ridiculous. Imagine building an ambulance base and not getting any signal for the emergency calls.”

Another crew member told the Tribune their union was in negotiation with management about subsistence allowances before signing off on the move.

“We are aware of the Tetra issue but 100 percent that will have to be up and running. Staff aren’t going to go in there unless it’s up and running,” he stated.

“A lot of the trust is gone for staff. We were only meant to be in UHG for a matter of months and it ended up being six years so staff want to make sure all ducks are lined up in a row before moving.”

He says staff are concerned that when they do eventually move to Merlin Park it could leave patients on the west side of the city with delays in response times when traffic returns to normal.

“We’ve been told there will be a room for ambulance staff in the new primary care centre planned for the west side of the city but that could take years and years to build if our experience with the base is anything to go by,” he opined.

“It’s a fine new base but it’s already going to be at maximum capacity. Staff levels are massive and I understand the hospital want us out of the fever building – they already have that earmarked for something else.”

A spokesperson for the HSE would not comment about any problem with the communications system.

“The commissioning of a new Galway Ambulance Hub is planned for the first quarter of 2022. At this stage, the HSE expects the new Galway Ambulance Hub to be operational in the second quarter of 2022.”

The new base includes a 129m² garage, two canopied parking bays and 19 canopied spaces for emergency vehicles. The two-storey base has offices, bathroom, shower and laundry facilities as well as a kitchen and quiet room for paramedics.

A previous health forum meeting was told that two of the unsuccessful contractors who applied to build the Merlin Park base had queried the tendering process with the HSE.