Concerns voiced over stretched Cork county ambulance service

“It’s just a sticking plaster stuck on a far bigger problem.”

That was the declaration of Bantry-based Independent Ireland councillor Danny Collins as he voiced the concerns of West Cork representatives at last week’s meeting of Cork County Council.

Their concerns about ambulance availability have not been allayed by a recent statement by the HSE.

In the statement issued in September, the HSE confirmed that there would be no reduction in the emergency ambulance service in the southwest region.

The statement followed concerns that were raised when, according to SIPTU, cuts planned by the National Ambulance Service would lead to the dropping of 15 ambulance shifts across Cork and Kerry.

The HSE said that existing NAS services would continue to be provided from all existing ambulance stations in Cork, which include Youghal, Midleton, Fermoy, Cork city, Clonakilty, Skibbereen, Bantry, Castletownbere, Macroom, Kanturk, Millstreet, Mallow, and the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service base at Rathcool.

Stretched

According to Mr Collins, however, the ambulance service was stretched in every which way already in the region.

“All we should be saying here, to be honest, is looking for more ambulances and more staff for West Cork and Cork county, this is affecting the whole of Cork county,” he said, suggesting that the council should send a letter to the HSE to this effect.

According to Fianna Fáil councillor Gillian Coughlan, the original decision by the HSE would have left “black spots right across West Cork, with no cover”.

The councillor said that the proper response, in terms of getting a trained professional to a patient, was a key issue.