Emergency Ambulance Service 'Cuts' Denied

Although there remains a need to make around £1.5m in savings, alleged 'cuts' to the NI Ambulance Service have been refuted.

NI Health Minister, Michael McGimpsey responded this afternoon to earlier claims over cutbacks and insisted that there are no plans to reduce funding for ambulance services.

In fact, the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) is to benefit from an extra £12m investment over the next three years.

The Minister said: "Significant investment will enable the service to modernise, to respond more quickly to emergency calls and to help provide life-saving services to patients who need it.

"In addition, further investment of £5m in the ambulance fleet and equipment will permit the replacement of around 20 vehicles per year," he said.

However, he also admitted that, over the next three years, measures would be put in place across the Health and Social Care service, including ambulance services, to "improve efficiency".

"I have approved the proposals for NIAS for year one, 2008/09, but I have yet to see and consider their proposals for the subsequent years.

"However, I must stress that even after these efficiencies have been achieved, it should be noted that there will be a net increase in investment in ambulance services," he insisted.

While the number of hours ambulances are available will be reduced, some 'budget-juggling', is to see the ambulances replaced with Rapid Response Vehicles with parallel moves in hand to place doctors in ambulance control centres to best co-ordinate immediate patient care.

"One specific proposal for 2008/09 will see increased numbers of Rapid Response Vehicles which will play a valuable role in responding to emergencies and stabilising patients who may be in potentially life-threatening situations," the Minister said, echoing earlier comments by a senior ambulance officer.

Brian McNeill, Director of Operations at the Ambulance Service, said they are "achieving the Minister's request for the efficiency savings of 3%".

"But we're also able - through the Minister's office - to invest money in the service from the comprehensive spending review so we will be able to put £2.5m in revenue into the Rapid Response Vehicles, as well as additional coverage at weekends, and we're going to pilot the use of doctors in the control room to provide advice to patients."

However, Lily Kerr, from trade union, Unison, quoted on the BBC earlier, said her union would not be approving the plans.

"My organisation fought long and hard, both with the direct rule administration and the new devolved administration to get what we believed to be adequate ambulance cover.

"These plans actually cut right through that. It is all very well saying you're giving a Rapid Response Vehicle, we've been there done that, and unfortunately the Ambulance Service has not learnt the lesson."

(BMcC)