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Plans for the first combined emergency ambulance service for communities either side of the Irish border is to be given the green light in the coming months, after the strategy underwent a series of detailed examinations last weekend.
Medicine Weekly understands that the initiative will comprise ambulance services from the Republic and Northern Ireland as well as the potential use of military helicopters in order to increase speed of access to vital treatment for patients.
Drawn up by Co-operation and Working Together (CAWT) after repeated concerns were raised by local communities on the issue, the plans will allow critically ill patients to access hospital and primary care services regardless of the jurisdiction in which they live.
After ambulance services on both sides of the border were informed of the possible change in policy, the move was the subject of a detailed examination by independent assessors last Saturday at Magilligan army base, half an hour outside of Derry and just over the Donegal border. Car crash and gas explosion scenarios were used as potential situations the initiative would have to face.
Should the plans be given the seal of approval by the assessors over the coming weeks, the initiative is expected to be piloted in the HSE North West and the Western Health and Social Care Trust before being rolled out to the rest of the border communities.
Speaking to Medicine Weekly, a CAWT spokesperson stated that the potential change in services, alongside a similar community emergency care initiative involving GPs and primary care workers in the Newry area, would play a key role in the improvement of services in the border region.
by Fiachra Ó Cionnaith
focionnaith@medicineweekly.ie
Tuesday, 24 April 2007
Plans for the first combined emergency ambulance service for communities either side of the Irish border is to be given the green light in the coming months, after the strategy underwent a series of detailed examinations last weekend.
Medicine Weekly understands that the initiative will comprise ambulance services from the Republic and Northern Ireland as well as the potential use of military helicopters in order to increase speed of access to vital treatment for patients.
Drawn up by Co-operation and Working Together (CAWT) after repeated concerns were raised by local communities on the issue, the plans will allow critically ill patients to access hospital and primary care services regardless of the jurisdiction in which they live.
After ambulance services on both sides of the border were informed of the possible change in policy, the move was the subject of a detailed examination by independent assessors last Saturday at Magilligan army base, half an hour outside of Derry and just over the Donegal border. Car crash and gas explosion scenarios were used as potential situations the initiative would have to face.
Should the plans be given the seal of approval by the assessors over the coming weeks, the initiative is expected to be piloted in the HSE North West and the Western Health and Social Care Trust before being rolled out to the rest of the border communities.
Speaking to Medicine Weekly, a CAWT spokesperson stated that the potential change in services, alongside a similar community emergency care initiative involving GPs and primary care workers in the Newry area, would play a key role in the improvement of services in the border region.
by Fiachra Ó Cionnaith
focionnaith@medicineweekly.ie
Tuesday, 24 April 2007
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