The lives of cardiac patients in Waterford are at risk due to poor ambulance transfer times, according to data supplied to a local TD from the National Ambulance Service.
As reported in the Waterford News and Star earlier this week, none of the “blue light” ambulance transfers from University Hospital Waterford to Cork arrived within a 90-minute treatment window.
It's claimed this delay is putting cardiac patients at "severe risk of death."
Figures received by Independent Waterford TD Matt Shanahan shows that transfer times out of the county for the period of 2019 to 2022, are outside the 90-minute window.
Deputy Shanahan's figures show that the patient handover time from call of ambulance from UHW to Cork University Hospital averaged three hours and 14 minutes.
According to the data, the longest transfer took seven hours and 16 minutes, while the quickest took 1 hour and 52 minutes.
Data shows that for the same period, transfer times in Wexford, Kilkenny, Cork and Dublin were also outside the 90 minute window.
Speaking in the Dáil, Matt Shanahan pointed out that the data further emphasises the need for a 24 /7 cath lab in Waterford.
Responding, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said work is being done to construct and fit out the second cath lab at UHW, but added that finding staff for a 24 / 7 set up will be "a real difficulty."
More here on the latest for Waterford.
