Ambulance crews in Cork opt out of overtime
Ambulance cover in Cork city was severely curtailed yesterday as paramedics withdrew from overtime in a row between the HSE and their union.
A spokesperson for the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) said the Cork city fleet was “down 50%” from six ambulances to three, for an extended period.
At one stage, just two ambulances were covering the city when one of the three in operation left for Dublin to transport a transplant patient.
The spokesperson said Midleton was also hit by the overtime ban, with its cover reduced from two to one ambulance, while a rapid response vehicle was also unavailable from 7am-7pm.
The PNA also said that the HSE was redeploying personnel who were due to undergo training yesterday to instead crew ambulances in Cork.
Asked if services were disrupted, the HSE said: “The HSE can confirm there was no interruption in service delivery today. We are continuing to monitor the situation closely.”
However the PNA said services in the Northeast were also curtailed, across Cavan, Navan and Drogheda, where they were down two ambulances. The spokesperson said crews were deployed from Cavan to Drogheda.
There were concerns that Cork county would also be affected last night.
The HSE said there was no interruption in service delivery yesterday and that it is monitoring the situation closely.
The PNA is in dispute with the HSE over its refusal to engage with NASRA (the National Ambulance Service Representative Association), the branch of its union that represents ambulance personnel.
The union claims the HSE is refusing to allow its ambulance personnel members to be represented by the PNA or to make payroll deductions of union subscriptions for PNA/NASRA members.
As a result of the row, about 500 paramedics and emergency medical technicians — about 30% of ambulance personnel nationally — have withdraw since yesteday from working overtime.
