Another patient has to wait for ambulance to help her

Another patient has to wait for ambulance to help her

20 May 2015

NEW Stormont health minister Simon Hamilton has been asked to provide additional money for the Ambulance Service to improve emergency cover in the Down area.

The appeal by Downpatrick councillor Colin McGrath comes after a pensioner had to wait 50 minutes for ambulance after falling and breaking her leg and shoulder.

The local politician said he has been “unhappy” with the recent level of ambulance cover in the Downpatrick area, suggesting it is clear that additional emergency cover is required. Councillor McGrath described the injured pensioner’s wait for an ambulance as “clearly unacceptable.”

He continued: “We have been continually told by the South East Trust that the reduction of emergency care at the Downe Hospital will not have a detrimental impact upon lives in Downpatrick, yet we get evidence time and time again that people are having to wait up to one hour for an emergency ambulance when the target time is set at eight minutes. I believe it is only a matter of time before someone dies as a result of this lack of cover in our area.

“I have had conversations with Ambulance Service officials and they have indicated that the major problem for Downpatrick is that there is often only one ambulance available. When it needs to transfer a patient to an A&E unit the ambulance must travel to Dundonald which means the vehicle is out of commission for up to two hours leaving the local area without cover.”

Councillor McGrath said the problem with the poor response time does not lie with the Ambulance Service but the Department of Health which seems “hesitant” in commissioning additional ambulance cover in spite of evidence of the need of such services.

He added: “It was agreed that an additional ambulance would be provided for the Downpatrick area from the time the A&E service at the Downe Hospital was downgraded but this vehicle has been removed. I would ask that Minister Hamilton has this ambulance reinstated for people in the Downpatrick area immediately.”

An Ambulance Service spokesman was unavailable for comment.