Thur 2nd Feb 2012

Changes to the delivery of ambulance and nursing home services will have a devastating impact on the lives of thousands of families in the east Cork area, according to local Sinn Féin TD Sandra McLellan.

Speaking in the Dáil this week on the HSE’s National Service Plan, Deputy McLellan said:

“Some of the headline issues arising from this plan have been well highlighted. It is clear that the heart will be torn from our public nursing homes. We have already seen the ball start to roll in this regard. In Laois, in Athlone, in Dublin to name but a few. In my own area of east Cork facilities and beds are under threat in Fermoy and Youghal. Youghal Community Hospital is in danger of losing eight beds. The effect of this will be to leave vulnerable elderly people and their families at their wits end. Will there be a place available for my elderly loved one? If not, why not? Home help hours are being cut at the same time, as the state seems to be abandoning their duty of care.”

“Similarly the so-called “reorganisation” of pre-emergency care is causing considerable concern, and quite legitimately. Ambulance response times for 2011 were below target right across the board, yet the HSE somehow expect that by redeploying the same staff over longer periods in less sophisticated vehicles that this system will improve. This is simply unbelievable. Areas are up in arms.  I commend the work of the Save Youghal Ambulance group which has been fighting for the retention of their ambulance service in the face of proposed downgrades. The plan as outlined will cost lives and needs to be resisted.

Sinn Féin TD for Cork East, Sandra McLellan, has claimed the ambulance service in the HSE South area is at breaking point and that the planned reconfiguration of the service will drive it over the edge.

Speaking in response to leaked HSE memos Deputy McLellan said:

“Internal HSE memos revealed by the Corkman this week confirm that there were several instances when areas in Cork were left without adequate ambulance cover due to new work directives. The HSEs answer to this appears to be to ask ambulance crew to routinely cover on-call after already working a 16 hour day. This is completely outrageous and in direct contradiction to earlier instruction issued in May.”

“It beggars belief that the HSE would expect ambulance staff to be in any fit state to deliver appropriate care after such a long day. The role paramedics play in the pre-emergency care of patients is vital. I have said from the outset that the HSEs plan to reconfigure ambulance services is seriously flawed. I have called on the Government and the HSE to invest in the ambulance fleet and in ambulance personnel. The recruitment embargo continues to have a devastating effect on the service.”

“This series of internal communications highlights the fact that the service is at breaking point, with insufficient staff and an inappropriate skills mix to deliver the service in the new dispensation. That the HSE would even contemplate reconfiguring the service without addressing these deficiencies is life threatening.”

Related Video: Save Youghal Ambulance – Protest Walk 29 July 2011

SIPTU Organiser Ted Kenny has strongly rejected media reports that the union was involved in agreeing to the withdrawal of ambulance services from Youghal by the HSE.

“SIPTU was not involved in the proposal to replace the ambulance service in Youghal with an advanced paramedic responder,” Kenny said.

“SIPTU has agreed nationally to the abolition of on-call arrangements as one of a number of cost-saving measures with the HSE, but it’s up to HSE management to decide how to implement changes. Far from supporting cutbacks, SIPTU has consistently campaigned against them and will continue to do so.”

Kenny added: “We’re also mindful that misinformation is being fed into the system by vested interests, which sometimes wish to exploit cutbacks in services for commercial reasons. We would like to reassure the public that our members will do everything in their power to maintain services to the best of their ability in the present straitened circumstances.”

By Gary Culliton.

Info: www.imt.ie

About Gary Culliton

Gary Culliton is Chief News Correspondent at IMT and specialises in consultant issues, the HSE, quality of care, health insurance, clinical research and global news.

The former site of Avery Dennison in Youghal is the location for the newly formed and urgently needed Service based company, Cara Ambulance Service Limited.  The services provided by this unique company include much needed, fully equipped no emergency ambulance and medic taxi, staffed with professional paramedics and EMT’s trained to the highest national standards, in accordance with the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council Standards.

Conor McEvaddy from Galway, Cara Company Director, is a qualified Helicopter pilot who has worked for many years in Galway.  His friend and partner, James O’Neill, is a qualified trainer wit the HSE, with whom he has worked for almost twenty years.
Having completed the necessary courses Conor and James, both recognising the urgency of such a service, got together and formed their Company, Cara Ambulance Service.  Conor told the East Cork Journal that they studied many sites and areas for their Company and decided to locate in Youghal, which seemed to have the largest gap, but with accessibility to the hospitals and nursing homes in the areas of Cork, Waterford, Limerick etc,
Youghal native, Nessa Cashell, daughter of Gertie and Michael Cashell, The Mall, Youghal worked for eight years in Cork as a Quality Manager, and over those years undertook several courses in the area of Services Improvements.  She is currently a qualified Quality Analyst with experience in all forms of service improvement and organisation, which makes her ideally suitable for her administrative position with the Company.  Nessa told the East Cork Journal that her aim would be to provide a service for patients which is not only professional to the highest standards but one which would also provide a person with a warm personality, with whom the patent will feel confident and comforted during their transportation to hospital or nursing.

Maureen O’Brien from Castlelyons, is a qualified EMT.  For most of her life Maureen has been involved with first aid and medical training. She is a qualified instructor and trainer with the Irish Heart Foundation, with whom she has been a member for the past thirteen or so years.  She qualified with the Ambulance Training Scheme in Dublin, is a voluntary member with the Order of Malta, and qualified with the PHECC (Pre Hospital Emergency Care Council).  Add to these qualities a very caring and sympathetic nature and Maureen is the sort of person one would be glad to have with them on a trip to either hospital or nursing home.

Emmet Quann lives in Lismore with his wife, Melanie and two children, Amelie and Hugo.  As an EMT, Emmet decided on a change in career some years ago, undertook all the necessary courses, and is now highly qualified in his work with Cara.   He told the East Cork Journal that he had always been interested and involved in palliative care, and completed the necessary courses to achieve his qualifications, and thus his ambitions.

Conor, Nessa, Maureen and Emmet are the basis of Cara with several other qualified EMTs also on hand when necessary.  All vehicles are fully wheelchair accessible and have appropriate restraint systems.  Each vehicle carries all vital medical equipment, which includes appropriate  medicines, AED and oxygen.  Cara Ambulance Service is tailored to meet the needs of the HSE, Healthcare Facilities, insurance companies, Hospitals, Private individuals, Nursing Homes.   This new Medic Taxi service is proving to be quite popular – they are driven by qualified medic staff and are also fully wheelchair accessible with appropriate restraint systems, carrying all vital medical equipment, which includes appropriate medicines, AED and Oxygen.

The service may also be used for people travelling to the hospital for dialysis,  if a person has a hospital appointment, or is in need to be transferred to a nursing or private home, the patient can travel with the medic or can have a family member of carer to assist the patient.  Cara Ambulance also provides full medical cover for sporting events, fixtures, concerts and any large crowd event.
The fleet consists of response cars, motor bikes, ambulances and a mobile medical unit with fully trained paramedics and EMTs to cover any event required.
With such a comprehensive professional service available 24/7, one could say with confidence that Cara (friend) is, indeed, your Cara in need.
For more information on Car Ambulance and Medic Taxi Service contact 024 85744 or 1890 600999 or simply go to their website www.caraambulanceservice.ie

Report: Denise FitzGerald – Photo: Michael Hussey www.youghalonline.com

Cara Ambulance And Medic Taxi Service Announces New Service To Munster

This newly formed company based in Youghal is now providing a valuable and much needed service in non emergency ambulance and Medic Taxi service to the Munster area. Cara Ambulance service is  based Youghal provides professionally trained medical staff and fully equipped vehicles to cover non emergency patient transfer plus medical cover for Sporting fixtures and large crowd events.

Cara Ambulance and Medic Taxi Service please contact 024-85744 or 1890 600 999 or simply go to their website at www.caraambulanceservice.ie

Connor Mc Evaddy company director of cara said ‘cara ambulance crews comprise of Paramedics and EMT’s trained to the highest national standards, in accordance with the pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council standards. All our crews are continually evaluated and up-Skilled through our own training facility. In line with the current H.S.E guidelines all our crews are vetted by an Garda Siochana.

Cara Ambulance Service
Foxhole Industrial Estate
Youghal
Co. Cork
024-85744
Lo Call: 1890 600 999
Email: info@carambulanceservice.ie

“We at Cara offer a unique high quality patient focused transport solution in the form of a mobility Taxi service and ambulance service for stretcher patients”

Our company will work closely with patients and carers to ensure their transport needs are met. Cara Ambulance Service is tailored to meet the needs of the HSE, Healthcare Facilities, insurance companies, Hospitals, Private individuals Nursing homes.

Our new Medic Taxi service is proving to be quiet popular as this main unique advantage is that all Medic Taxis are driven by qualified medic staff  our vehicles are fully wheelchair accessible and have appropriate restraint systems ,all vehicles carry  all vital medical equipment which includes  appropriate medicines, AED and Oxygen . The service is used in cases  for example if an elderly person has a hospital appointment, or is in need to be transferred to a nursing or private home Cara Ambulance and Medic Taxi can provide such service The patient can travel with the medic or can have a family member or carer to assist the patient.  “Families and loved ones can feel secure to know they are in the hands of medically trained staff. We also provide our ambulance service for non emergency stretcher patients”

Cara Event Cover. We at Cara Ambulance also provides full medical cover for sporting events, fixtures, Concerts and any large crowd event. Our fleets consists of response cars, Motor bikes, Ambulances and a mobile medical unit with fully trained paramedics and EMT’s to cover any event required.

For more information on Cara Ambulance and Medic Taxi Service please contact 024-85744 or 1890 600 999 or simply go to their website at www.caraambulanceservice.ie