​Parsons Warns on Ambulance Demand

Parsons Warns on Ambulance DemandLocal residents are in danger of having calls for an ambulance go unanswered unless immediate action is taken to increase capacity amid surging demand, according to Cllr Evelyn Parsons, who told a meeting of the Regional Health Forum West recently that County Galway had been identified as facing the largest growth in calls for ambulance services in the coming years.
With an ageing and growing population, significant investment was needed to expand the county’s ambulance service to enhance the number of vehicles that can be deployed, argued the Councillor.
“We need to deliver critical infrastructure now, to prepare for the future. The stark reality is that, if we don’t, a time may come when you won’t be able to answer all the calls,” warned Councillor Parsons.
Chief Ambulance Officer for the West, JJ McGowan, confirmed that demand for emergency services is expected to “grow substantially” in the coming years. They have plans to fill gaps with an expansion of services on the ground and additional ambulances and resources in some of their bases.
Community paramedics visit patients at their home and administer treatment there, while pathfinder paramedics are dispatched with occupational therapists and physiotherapists who go out and assess the patient with a view to keeping them at home.
In addition, there is a clinical hub in their call centres that can give patients alternative pathways to follow for help instead of sending out an ambulance for them.
Councillor Parsons said she believed a response beyond ‘filling the gaps’ was required and it needed to be planned immediately so that funding could be secured.
“Community safety and health cannot be put on hold, and I see no definite timeline or commitment to increasing”