Garda had to drive ambulance from crash scene

A warning over the HSE’s refusal to replace ambulance crew members who are off sick was made this week following an incident last Sunday in which a garda had to drive an ambulance from the scene of an accident near Dunsany.
Four ambulances were dispatched to a road accident in the Dunsany area on Sunday, but one ambulance had just one crew member as the other rostered member of staff was unexpectedly sick.
A garda had to drive that ambulance to hospital from the scene of the accident.
This follows complaints in recent weeks that the HSE was refusing to replace ambulance personnel who were off sick.
Cllr Tommy Reilly said the situation was becoming very dangerous. “It is unreal that an ambulance would not be fully crewed.
“It is getting very serious and very dangerous and neither the HSE or the Minister for Health seems to be taking this seriously,” he claimed.
A spokesperson for the HSE confirmed that a garda had to drive the ambulance.

She said members of An Garda Siochana are authorised to drive any vehicle deemed necessary in the performance of their duties.

“Exceptional and rare occasions do occur where two or more paramedics/advanced paramedics, or in some cases, a sole responder, are required to treat a patient in an emergency ambulance.
“In these exceptional and rare circumstances, members of the emergency services on the scene, including An Garda Siochana, are authorised by the HSE to drive National Ambulance Service vehicles,” the spokesperson added.