Publication: Irish Medical News
Date: Monday, May 18, 2009
Page: 6
Extract: 1 of 1
Circulation: 6,632

Calls for ambulance regulation

A private ambulance service provider has called for regulation of the sector "to ensure patient safety".

Lifeline Ambulance Service Limited, which claims it is Ireland's largest private ambulance operator, last week called for urgent regulation of the private ambulance sector.

The company said there are approximatley nine private ambulance operators in Ireland who provide inter-hospital transfers of patients, transport of incubators and infants, and of blood products, as well as transport of organ retrieval teams and human organs. Mr David Hall, Managing Director of Lifeline, said that there are currently no independent, national standardised clinical, technical or operational audits/inspections of private ambulances.

Commenting on the concerns raised by Mr Hall, the Irish Patients Association said "Statutory regulation is the only way to ensure that patients and the public are protected. In the past few years, doctors, nurses and pharmacists have all had strenghtened regulationsto further protect patients and the public, and the private ambulance service should not be excluded from such regulation".

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