Ambulance response times place lives at risk

Only half of all local ambulances dispatched to a life-threatening 999 call are meeting national response time standards of less than 19 minutes.

The revelation that one in every two ambulances dispatched in the West of Ireland is failing to meet HIQA (Health Information Quality Authority) standards has been described as “appalling” by Independent TD, Denis Naughten. He said lives are unnecessarily being put at risk in rural areas of the west.

However, a Government backbencher said that new investment in ambulance services in Galway and Mayo will improve response times in future.

Fine Gael Galway West TD, Seán Kyne, said an investment of €5.4 million for 50 new paramedic posts will boost ambulance services in the west.

Deputy Kyne said the extra staffing will help with ambulance response times across the west.

Highlighting the problem, Deputy Naughten said: “The HIQA standard states that an ambulance should be at the scene of a life-threatening call within 19 minutes in 85% of cases.

“However, last year just over 46% of all 999 calls in Roscommon, Galway and Mayo met this response time meaning that one in every two life-threatening calls, to which HIQA standards apply, fails to comply with those standards.”