Irish paramedics have reached a “breaking point” amid a huge spike in demand as flu, Covid and other diseases ravage the healthcare system, their union has said
Paramedic union SIPTU said the National Ambulance Service (NAS) needed at least 2,000 additional staff and 120 new ambulances to meet current needs.
They also said that the increase in the number of emergency room workers across the country has “severely impacted turn-around times” and ambulance crews are having to wait hours for their patients to be delivered.
This comes as the number of people waiting for trolleys in hospital corridors hit record highs this week with 931 people on trolleys.
In a statement, SIPTU Sector Organiser, Ted Kenny, said: “The upsurge in demand on the NAS is pushing many of its paramedics to breaking point. The increased numbers attending Accident and Emergency Departments across the country has severely impacted turn-around times, with crews having to wait hours on end to hand over their patients,” reports The Mirror.
SIPTU officials have called on Health Secretary Stephen Donnelly to take action to implement the recommendations of an independent 2018 Roles and Responsibilities Review Report, raising concerns about the staffing of the NAS.
Mr Kenny added: “An appropriately staffed and funded NAS that can retain its dedicated workforce, would be of huge benefit to the communities it serves as well as the acute hospital sector which has seen a huge increase in activity in recent weeks. We are calling on the Minister of Health, Stephen Donnelly, to intervene to ensure the recommendations of the Independent Review of Roles and Responsibilities Report are implemented as a matter of urgency,” reports The Mirror.
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