Drop in number of advanced paramedics for County Roscommon

There has been a 60 percent drop in the number of advanced paramedics servicing County Roscommon with the number falling in the last three years from 15 to just six today.

Concerns over this rapid decrease were raised in the Dail by Sinn Fein TD Claire Kerrane who told the Herald there is a huge need in Roscommon for advanced paramedics as there is no longer an A&E and they are the only ones who can give life saving measures. She described the situation as “unacceptable”.

The matter also arose at a recent meeting of the Regional Health Forum West when members were told that since the inception of the Advanced Paramedic Programme in 2004, there has been a considerable shift in patient needs.

A spokesperson said: “Twenty years on in 2025, 50% of all NAS patients are over 65 years while 33% are over 75 years. Less than one third of patients seen by NAS require hospital admission. The Advanced Paramedic Training and Education Standard increasingly does not meet the needs of these patients. To mitigate this issue, and ensure the total number of specialists remains consistent going forward, NAS having consulted with the trade unions, established a new role, sanctioned by the Department of Health, for Specialist Paramedic.

“As such NAS will concentrate its efforts in training specialist paramedics through 2025. In 2024/25 an additional five specialist paramedics have become operational across the region.” The executive further stated “three years ago there were 15 advanced paramedics in County Roscommon, that figure is now six for many reasons which include; career breaks, transfers and resignations.” This reflects the shift to having more community paramedics with the health service executive stating that an advanced paramedic is a paramedic that is upskilled to perform advanced life support, has more clinical skills and can administer more medications while a community paramedic is upskilled to treat older people with a view to keeping them out of hospital.

However Ms Kerrane, understanding that there are merits to community paramedics in relation to older people wanting to stay out of hospital said. “This does not outstrip the need for advanced paramedics.” Speaking at the Dáil debate she also described the situation as “unacceptable”.

Ms Kerrane said: “The ambulance service in Roscommon is being downgraded. It started with the use of a paramedic on the advanced paramedic roster despite a commitment for a Rapid Response Vehicle with 24/7 advanced paramedic cover in Roscommon following the closure of the A&E.

“Now the latest is the removal of the Rapid Response Vehicle on Thursdays, which removes this vital emergency service once a week in Roscommon. I want the 24/7 roster restored at Roscommon and this needs to be done urgently.

“We are seeing the downgrading of the emergency ambulance service where we have no A&E and we are further away from our next nearest A&E. We are also still without the same access to the Air Ambulance where the majority of calls for it come from County Roscommon. It was due to return in January, it is now March and we are still waiting.” In response the Minister advised that options for filling the two vacancies are being examined.

Following the debate, Deputy Kerrane said: “I am really concerned as to the wider policy in the National Ambulance Service which doesn’t seem to acknowledge or respect the role of Advanced Paramedics anymore. They have stopped training them and yet, advanced paramedics are the only paramedics that provide advanced life support in emergency cases.

“On the one hand the Minister stated that patient demand continues to rise with nearly 430,000 urgent and emergency calls last year yet, the National Ambulance Service are not training advanced paramedics.

“The Minister acknowledged the role I played in establishing 24/7 ambulance cover in Loughglynn and I welcome that however, it is important to say that was achieved thanks to engagement with the previous Director of the National Ambulance Service.”