Ambulance turnaround times in Louth "getting worse", says local TD

Sinn Féin TD for Louth, Ruairí Ó Murchú has said that the ambulance turnaround times for Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda are getting worse.

He was responding to data received by party health spokesperson, David Cullinane, TD from the National Ambulance Service in response to a parliamentary question.

The data showed that in April, 25% of ambulances were cleared from the Lourdes in less than 30 minutes, while 61% spent between 30 and 60 minutes at the hospital and 14% were there for more than 60 minutes.

In May, the less than 30 minutes figure had dropped to 18%, while 55% were turned around at the hospital between 30 and 60 minutes, but 26% were there for more than an hour.

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The latest figures, for June, show that 23% of ambulances were turned around at the Lourdes in under 30 minutes, while 60% were there for up to an hour and in 17% of cases, it took more than an hour to turn the ambulances around.

Deputy Ó Murchú called on the government to publish and fund a multi-annual workforce plan to double the number of paramedics and to increase both training and retention in the service.

He said: “The average ambulance response times locally are worrying and dangerous.

"It is clear that the Ambulance Service is under serious strain and pressure, which is exactly what paramedics in Louth have been warning for years.

“Figures obtained by Sinn Féin Health spokesperson David Cullinane show that almost one in five ambulances, 17%, were at the hospital for more than an hour.

“The continuous decrease in the Ambulance Service’s ability to respond to life-threatening incidents within target timeframes shows that the government is failing to properly resource the service.

“People living in Louth will be anxious about the impact of this for people who need urgent care locally.

“This is putting patients in Louth at risk, and it is forcing paramedics to work extremely long hours. That is not good for the individual paramedic, and many are concerned about the risk this presents to them, to patients, and to the public across Louth.

“The Minister for Health, Stephen Donnelly, must publish and fund a multi-annual workforce plan to double the number of paramedics and to increase both training and retention in the service.

“The solutions are there and change can be delivered.

“A serious plan is needed if the Ambulance Service is to reverse the trend and improve outcomes so that patients in Louth can get the urgent care they need when they need it.

“Sinn Féin in government would deliver the change needed to ensure the health service is fit for purpose.”