Questions over limited service for Tuam Ambulance Base

By SIOBHÃÂN HOLLIMAN CLARIFICATION is to be sought from the Minister for Health regarding the staffing of Tuam's Ambulance Base, due to open before Christmas. It was expected that the base would provide 24-hour ambulance cover but only a limited service can be guaranteed at present due to staffing shortages. GPs in the area who have called for an ambulance base for more than a decade say the new base is a very welcome development but they are disappointed that round-the-clock cover won't be provided as promised.[private] Dr Enda Harhen, of the Grove Medical Centre, says GPs haven't been briefed on what service will be available. He says the new base is very welcome and that having an ambulance in Tuam from early morning will significantly improve emergency call response times. 'Not having the 24-hour service that was promised does temper the positivity of the facility opening. It appears that we won't be getting a new ambulance -that it will be relocated from Galway and that weekend or night-time cover won't be available from the Tuam base. We will await to see if the full service that was promised is realised in the future,' said Dr Harhen. Last year Galway East TD Colm Keaveney was confident that 25 extra staff would be appointed as part of the reconfiguration of ambulance services in Galway, Mayo and Roscommon. But this week he says the huge financial strain on the health budget is causing difficulties in getting more staff. 'The immediate priority is to get the ambulance base open,' remarked the Labour Deputy, who said the massive health budget overrun is making the situation very challenging. 'I will be asking the Minister for Health in the Dáil to clarify the staffing situation regarding the Tuam base and whether the reconfiguration of ambulance services in Galway, Mayo and Roscommon will afford the opportunity for staff to be transferred to Tuam,' he said. Tuam GP Dr Jarlath Deignan said that having an ambulance located in Tuam would provide benefits not just for the Tuam area, but for the entire North Galway and South Mayo region. 'It is very disappointing that it won't be a 24-hour service,' said Dr Deignan, who feels the opening of the base will certainly improve what is available at the moment. He said the large and rural area is in need of improved ambulance access and he hopes that this can be provided 24 hours a day and seven days a week. 'In the meantime we'll have to do the best with the current circumstances,' he added. The issue was also raised at this week's meeting of the Regional Health Forum where Area Operations Manager for the Ambulance Service Paudie O'Riordan reconfirmed that in order to offer a 24-hour service, 11 staff are required, but that allocation isn't in place for this year. Responding to a query from Cllr Mary Hoade, Mr O'Riordan said the extra staff would be included in next year's plan but he couldn't guarantee that they would be secured during 2013. 'We will be looking for the staff, whether we get them or not, we'll have to wait and see,' he remarked. The Tuam base is expected to become operational some time next month and an existing crew from Galway will start their shift from Tuam on some days and a crew might also be based in Tuam on some nights if Galway isn't too busy. 'It will be a limited service but at least we will have a crew responding from the Tuam area,' said the ambulance manager. Cllr Hoade said it would be terrible for the base to open and be left idle and Mr O'Riordan assured her people would definitely see a presence there. He said an improved response time to calls in the Tuam catchment area will hopefully boost the business case to show that a 24-hour service is needed. Construction work started last year on the two-storey building, which is located on part of the former Bon Secours hospital lands, not far from the Irish Wheelchair Association centre. The Tuam base has been designed to be able to accommodate up to 20 staff to provide for two full-time crews and to allow for the further expansion of services in the future. Mr O'Riordan is confident that the Tuam base will bring benefits across the region and not just for the town's catchment area. It's expected that response times to emergency calls from Tuam and the North Galway region will improve once the base goes live.[/private]