Altnagelvin was left without A&E ambulance cover due to staff sickness, personal circumstances, NIAS confirm

The lack of cover occurred on Friday, June 9, the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service confirmed in response to a Freedom of Information request submitted by Foyle MLA Pádraig Delargy.

The NIAS said three operational day crews were scheduled on the date in question but they were ultimately unable to staff the shifts.

"Unfortunately, due to unforeseen staff sickness and staff personal circumstances the staff planned on the above crews were absent. Every effort was made to cover the vacant shifts using both overtime and Bank staff.

"At 08.00hrs we had a Rapid Response Paramedic on duty at Altnagelvin and a further two Operational Managers who were available to respond.

"Whilst it was not possible to reallocate crews from other Stations in advance of the shift start time, crews were dynamically redeployed from across the Division as and when there was availability,” the ambulance service said.

Mr. Delargy asked NIAS to detail on how many occasions over the past three months Altnagelvin had been left with no A&E ambulance crews.

NIAS responded: “During May, June and July there has/have been one occasion on which planned cover levels fell to zero. This occurred on a night shift between 00.00hrs and 07.30hrs.”

He also asked how many times cover had been reduced to just one ambulance crew.

The NIAS confirmed that planned cover had fallen to one crew six times.

"These have all been on night duty either between 00.00hrs and 07.30hrs or 02.00hrs and 07.30hrs,” it stated.

Between March 15 and June 15 there were 3066 responses to calls with an address in the Derry City area by the NIAS.

Of these calls 2,097 (68.4 per cent) involved responses with at least one resource based at Altnagelvin.

Sinn Féin MLA Pádraig Delargy said: “Shortages in ambulance cover at Altnagelvin and across the Western Trust that are leading to longer responses for serious emergency calls is deeply concerning.

“Like all areas of the health service, the ambulance service is under huge pressure and due to chronic shortages in ambulance crews that is leaving workers stretched.

“We need the Assembly and Executive restored now and parties working together to invest in the health service and hire more health workers.”

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