Ongoing staffing issues in the Ambulance Service are causing a threat to patient health according to TD Michael Lowry.
Paramedics in the south have been informed of new arrangements whereby an Intermediary Care Operative will now work with a fully trained Paramedic on an ambulance.
However, ICO’s are only trained for six weeks in comparison to three years for Paramedics who are refusing to accept this new system thus risking having their Annual Leave postponed.
Deputy Lowry says that while the current system is chaotic this proposal and threat to annual leave is not the solution and a danger to patients.
He is calling on the Government to address the glaring problem of why people are reluctant to qualify and take up work as a Paramedic.
“The National Ambulance Service and the HSE seem to think that by placing healthcare workers who have been trained for just six weeks on Ambulance crews and by threatening over-worked Paramedics with postponement of their much needed accumulated leave if they do not agree will help address the problem. This beggars belief.”
“The structures and procedures are failing patients and putting lives at risk. The staff are worn down from pressure and stress.”
“The lack of young people entering the service and training to be qualified has stalled.”
He says this is because “the starting salary is less than €28,000, newly qualified Paramedics could be sent to any part of the country but accommodation will not be provided or paid for them. Many cannot afford the cost of accommodation so are forced to drive to wherever they are based and they are never given certainty on where that will be.”
