Downpatrick waiting times for ambulances is serious concern says Down Community Health Committee
The Down Community Health Committee (DCHC) has stated that a recent response to a freedom of information request addressed to the Northern Ireland Ambulance Trust “has highlighted yet again the depressingly poor emergency ambulance response times in Newry Mourne and Down generally, but in the Downpatrick area in particular.”
A spokesperson for the DCHC said: “Whilst the regional mean response time to a category one call, the most serious classification of call to the Ambulance Service is 11 minutes and three seconds, that for Newry Mourne and Down is 16 minutes and three seconds.
However, further analysis reveals that that for the Downpatrick Electoral area it is 18 minutes, that for Slieve Croob is 17 minutes and three seconds and that for the Mourne area is 22 minutes and 15 seconds.
There is also a significant difference in response times to the category two, very urgent calls.xa0The statistics reveal that the regional response time average is 37 minutes 39 seconds but that for Newry Mourne and Down averages 47 minutes and 56 seconds.
The Downpatrick electoral area response time is 52 minutes and 32 seconds, that for Slieve Croob 54 minutes and nine seconds and that for the Mourne area was 26 minutes and 53 seconds.
The Down Community health committee recognises the magnificent work done by staff at all levels within the ambulance service, a service which is grossly underfunded.
Down Community Health Committee chairperson, Eamonn McGrady, said: ”The simple fact of the matter is that there is a business case that was intended to increase staffing levels within the ambulance service, with a particular focus on improving the standard of service in rural areas across Northern Ireland, is gathering dust in Stormont.
“Whilst clearly the absence of a functioning executive must have some impact in this regard, one would have thought that this was an issue on which there would be cross party support and that therefore, a decision could be taken by the Permanent Secretary, on behalf of the Department of Health enjoying cross-party and indeed, more importantly, cross-community support.
“Clearly there are very challenging financial circumstances at Stormont at the moment, but the failure to invest the appropriate resources has direct and immediate consequences for human life and the quality of human life across our district.xa0
“Therefore, this issue must be addressed and any further delay is totally unacceptable.
“It is a particular concern that the response times are so bad for the Downpatrick electoral area.
” It’s hard to believe that the area including the county town should suffer again in such a way and it is most important thatxa0 steps are taken to improve these responses.
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