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Tag Archives: ambulance

Non-Critical Patients Are Transported Directly To Ennis Hospital

Non-critical patients can now be transferred directly by ambulance to the Medical Assessment Unit in Ennis Hospital as part of a new pilot project to ease chronic overcrowding at University Hospital Limerick. Paramedics were left with no option but to transport all Clare patients directly to UHL via ambulance following the controversial removal of 24-hour casualty cover from Ennis and Nenagh Hospitals in April 2009. The Mid-West Hospital Campaign has been informed this new emergency pathway will be accessible from Monday to Friday from 8am to 6pm Monday to Friday, excluding public holidays. The patient must meet agreed clinical criteria and has to be accepted by the MAU physician in Ennis Hospital. The Mid-West Hospital Campaign has welcomed this announcement as a “stepping stone in the right direction” towards its desired objective concerning the return of around the clock emergency cover at Ennis and Nenagh Hospitals. A spokesperson thanked all the people involved in the Friends of Ennis Hospital, “Nenagh …

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Woman rescued from sea as multi-agency operation launched

A woman was rescued from the sea this morning after getting into difficulty while swimming off the Black Rock at Spanish Point. The alarm was raised at around 11.30am when emergency services received a report of a person in trouble. Watch officers at the Irish Coast Guard’s marine rescue sub-centre on Valentia Island in Kerry mounted a multi-agency search and rescue operation involving the Kilkee unit of the Coast Guard, Clare County Fire and Rescue Service, National Ambulance Service, RNLI and An Garda Síochána. A man walking on the beach at the time is understood to have entered the water and helped the woman ashore. It’s believed the woman, thought to be in her 60s, got into difficulty after finding herself out of her depth. The Shannon-based Irish Coast Guard helicopter, Rescue 115, and the Aran Islands RNLI lifeboat were also tasked but were stood down when it was confirmed that the woman had been brought ashore. The Kilkee Coast …

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Calls for investigation after five-hour wait for ambulance

A CALL has been made for an official investigation into the five-hour delay for the arrival of an ambulance in Tulla on Tuesday, despite three phone calls from a local general practitioner. Senator Timmy Dooley made the call for an inquiry into the circumstances that led to this shocking time for medical intervention. The Fianna Fail Senator has contacted Health Minister Stephen Donnelly to seek an urgent review of this case, and the entire provision of ambulance services in the Mid-West. “I am absolutely shocked to hear someone would be left in a doctor’s surgery waiting for an ambulance for more than five hours. It beggars belief. “This issue needs to be thoroughly investigated. My suspicious is it is as a result of an ambulance service that is over stretched and under resourced. “While recognising ambulance services were reconfigured, that was dependant on an efficient use of our ambulance service. Ambulance cover was increased a few years ago and the …

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Lack of ambulances for major games ‘worrying’

THE lack of official ambulances for major GAA games is “worrying”, a Tipperary councillor has stated. Speaking at a HSE West Forum meeting in Galway on Tuesday, Councillor David Doran said it is “worrying” that there is no plan in place for an extra ambulance when Semple Stadium in Thurles is hosting a big GAA game. The National Ambulance Service (NAS) has confirmed it does not have the funding or the resources to cover any GAA match in any venue this year. While NAS chief ambulance officer, Paudie O’Riordan, acknowledged that there was a time when the service was in a position to provide ambulance cover within a GAA stadium, it is no longer in a position to do this. Mr O’Riordan pointed out the GAA is responsible for putting adequate medical services in place, as the main event organiser. In February, Tipperary football manager, Liam Kearns, expressed concern about the length of time it took an ambulance to arrive …

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Man injured in cliff fall

A man has been airlifted to hospital after he fell from a 25 metre cliff near Lahinch this morning (Saturday). The alarm was raised at around 5am when the man in his 20s is understood to have lost his footing and fell. He was pulled ashore within minutes by one of the group he was with. The Doolin unit of the Irish Coast Guard along with an ambulance were alerted and rushed to the scene. The Shannon based Irish Coast Guard search and rescue helicopter was requested to airlift the injured man to hospital. He inched from the base of the cliff onto the helicopter and flown to Galway University Hospital.

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Poll topper in Killaloe area Joe Cooney is congratulated by fellow Fine Gael candidate Johnny Flynn during the election count at The West county Hotel, Ennis. Photograph by John Kelly.

Woman gives birth in Scariff ambulance

AN East Clare woman gave birth in an ambulance in Scariff on Monday afternoon. The woman, who lives in Whitegate, had been driven to the medical centre in Scariff, who in turn called the ambulance service dispatch. The Scariff ambulance was immediately on the scene and the woman gave birth minutes after being placed in the ambulance. The incident follows concerns recently raised at the regular redeployment of ambulances from Clare stations to Nenagh and Limerick. A number of county councillors have stated the incident on Monday highlights the value of having an ambulance centre in Scariff and stressed the need for that service not to be further diluted or stretched. “The ambulance crew based at the Scariff Ambulance Centre received the call on Monday afternoon at 5.10pm. They were informed that a young mother was in labour and required assistance. The ambulance crew were on scene within minutes to assist the young woman. The crew immediately identified that the …

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University Hospital Limerick.

Injured woman removed to hospital

A woman is recovering in hospital after she sustained a head injury when she slipped on rocks at Clahanes, near Liscannor, yesterday evening. The woman in her 50’s had been walking along the shoreline when the accident happened. The alarm was raised by a passerby who called the ambulance service. The Irish Coast Guard was requested to assist and the Doolin unit of the volunteer service assisted paramedics recover the patient and take her across the rocks to a waiting ambulance before being removed to University Hospital Limerick.

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University Hospital Limerick.

Gardai treat Corofin fire as “suspicious”

Gardai are treating as suspicious a fire at a house in Corofin which resulted in two people having to be taken to University Hospital Limerick for treatment. The fire occurred around 8am this morning at the house at Gort Road and gardai have since completed a technical examination of the scene. Several units of the fire brigade and two ambulances from Ennis responded to the incident. Both men, one a pensioner who lived at the house, and a man who helped rescue him from the property, were treated with oxygen at the scene before being removed to hospital.

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