It's offical: Need an ambulance in Kilkee? Well, you're stuffed then.

dr.fuzzenstein

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/research-flags-e-blackspots-182325184.html

West Clare is now officially an emergency care blackspot, should you have a heart attack, stroke or other accident that requires you to get to an A&E within half an hour, it was nice knowing you, we're gonna miss you.
But think of all that lovely money you'll help save!
The B all and end all of every decision taken by the government right now.
Under "Bloody" Mary Harney it was revealed that dispersion of A&E departments would comply with international best practice.
Only one glaring point, which for some reason NO ONE here seems to be able to spot:
Other countries have these whirly thingies called helicopters, they flly and can get places real fast, i.e. faster than an ambulance.
So, Limerick would be a good spot for an A&E if you live in Kilkee IF the river Shannon wasn't in the way and IF there where helicopters stationed at Limerick.
Right now, the government is happily letting people die in order to save a few measly bob.
Knowing that a situation is costing lives and allowing that situation to carry on?
Could be manslaughter to my mind, maybe even murder.
Who should be prosecuted?
Mary Harney, who allowed this appalling situation to develop, or James Reilly for knowingly letting it continue and in fact soon making it worse, by cutting more A&E's?

Lady Chatterton

Unfortunately, this isn't news to the people of Clare

I remember Dr. Tom Nolan addressing people at a "Save Ennis Hospital" rally a few years ago, he explained the importance of the "golden hour". (i.e A patient in a life threatening situation has a better chance of survival if they receive treatment within the first hour). He also highlighted how seriously affected West Clare people (Kilkee, Carrigaholt, Loop Head) would be if A&E was removed from Ennis but the powers that be didn't want to know.

At the time we were promised a Centre of Excellence in Limerick and we all know that the Regional Hospital in Dooradoyle is struggling to cope with the increase in patient numbers since Ennis and Nenagh had A & E services removed (after 8pm) in April 2009. I've had the misfortune of attending A&E in Limerick and the place is akin to a warzone.

Claregirl

Title of thread should be changed to Need an ambulance in CLARE?

Limerick Regional is unable to cope with the numbers attending the A&E first hand experience witnessed stretcher cases crammed into sluice rooms.

Apparently on several occasions ambulances from Clare have been unable to leave as there was no room for patients in A&E.

God help us all if there is any form of a major emergency (Shannon Airport Close by)

Jim Martin

Air Ambulance Ireland were hoping to cover Co.Clare - I think their idea was to base a helicopter at Shannon:

http://www.airambulanceireland.net/press-release-15th-december/

dr.fuzzenstein

Let's hope so, since our hospitals where spaced according to best international practice, conveniently ignoring the fact we don't have an air ambulance service.
IF that happens, it would make a huge difference to travel time and reaching the A&E on time.
It would, of course, not make a difference to the fact that the A&E will still look like something out of M.A.S.H.

Balagan

For the recent Road Safety ads the town of Kilkee was chosen because its population of 1,000 was closest to the 1,100 statistic of lives 'saved' by the drop in deaths in road accidents over the past decade. How ironic and sad that they picked on the town where anyone having a car accident or medical emergency would have one of the longest waits (69 minutes) in the country to access a hospital A & E.

And if you want a clear picture of exactly the kind of A & E they might live long enough to be lucky enough to reach, then read the following (written by an Ennis woman, as happens) and weep: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2011/1112/1224307440996.html

CptSternn

I was in a motorbike accident a few years ago and ended up in Limerick. It wasn't life threatening, so I was told it could be weeks before they could schedule me with someone to check out my knee properly. I got my GP to write a letter and I took the train to Dublin the same day and had someone in one of the hospitals there see me the same day.

It's kinda fecked we no longer have a hospital with A&E in Clare and we can't get even seen in Limerick for weeks if it's not life threatening, but yet travel by train a couple hours and you have your choice of multiple large hospitals that have no queues.

dr.fuzzenstein

Balagan wrote: »

And if you want a clear picture of exactly the kind of A & E they might live long enough to be lucky enough to reach, then read the following (written by an Ennis woman, as happens) and weep: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/weekend/2011/1112/1224307440996.html

That does not make for cheerful reading. And it doesn't sound like that was particularly hectic, imagine a pile-up on the motorway or a crash at the airport?
What then?
Now that the minister and the department are aware I'm sure they're already planning their next steps.
Further budget cuts, more beds closed, nursing homes closed so hospital beds are blocked by people who cannot move on from there, Ennis A&E (by my guess anyway) is probably next for the axe and as for the air ambulance: Are you nuts? Those things cost money!
I don't see any improvement in the near future.
After all, the banks must have their money, THAT is vitally important!
As long as we pour billions into them, sure who cares if a few people die on trollies or on the way to hospital.
Makes you despair for this country.

CptSternn

dr.fuzzenstein wrote: »

After all, the banks must have their money, THAT is vitally important!
As long as we pour billions into them, sure who cares if a few people die on trollies or on the way to hospital.
Makes you despair for this country.

Makes you wonder who keeps voting this current shower back into power. Nationally and locally. They all should be given the boot.

We get the officials we elect, or should I say continually re-elect.

The local populous has to shoulder some of the blame here for letting them continually get away with this stuff and still re-electing them.

Don't like what you see? Don't vote in FF/FG/LAB/SF/GREENS. Find some alternatives that are truly alternative and aren't going to work for whats best for themselves personally and their party, find a candidate who has original ideas and will work for the people.

As long as they keep getting re-elected don't expect any changes from them.

I love this clip as it explains most voting patterns in Ireland. It has been posted before, but I love it and will post it again.

alibride

even if your injured half a mile from hospital you cant get an ambulance!! so not much hope for anyone looking for emergency responses!!!

A LABOUR TD has called on the health watchdog to investigate the circumstances surrounding the ambulance response to a road accident where a woman died in Drogheda yesterday.

A woman pedestrian in her 70s died after she was hit by a car in Scarlet Street in the Co Louth town just before 5.30pm last night. She was taken by ambulance to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda about half-a-mile away.

However, it has emerged today that an ambulance had to be requested from Ardee - 25 kilometres away – as both the units stationed in the Drogheda were on calls at the time.

The Health Service Executive (HSE) initially said in a statement this morning that the response time was 45 minutes before it revised that figure to 17 minutes three hours later.

“A staff error occurred where the ambulance crew did not press the on scene arrival status button,” the HSE said in a statement this afternoon saying the ambulance arrived on the scene at 5.40pm, 17 minutes after it had been tasked.

Nash had issued a statement earlier calling for an urgent Dáil debate on the matter and this afternoon criticised the HSE for its handling of the incident and how it was reported this morning,

“It hasn’t assisted matters on this with the number of hours it took for a clarification on the matter to be issued. But the fact is an ambulance shouldn’t have to be dispatched from Ardee to Drogheda,” he said.

He told TheJournal.ie that he intends to pursue the matter until a debate is held and called for the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) to investigate.

“This isn’t the first it has happened in Drogheda. In May there was a similar incident, so it’s not the first time and it beggars belief that there is isn’t a sufficient ambulance service for the area,” he said referring to an incident in which a 52-year-old man had to be brought to hospital by a van driver.

HIQA published recommendations in January of last year which said that emergency services should respond immediately to life-threatening emergency calls within eight minutes.

The HSE said it wished to extend its deepest sympathy to the family and friends of the deceased.

Woman killed in Louth traffic incident