A DISPUTE HAS erupted between paramedics deployed on the Irish helicopter Air Ambulance service with the HSE over working hour arrangements, The Journal has learned.

The dispute is centred around rostering and how the paramedics work when deployed to the service on a full-time basis. 

Medics had been working on the helicopter service on a temporary basis where they routinely returned to their stations when the helicopter wasn’t flying but a different system was recently initiated. The new system made them permanent Air Ambulance operators who will, occasionally, work on National Ambulance Service operations near the bases. 

It is understood that there are concerns by the paramedics that they will be forced to work at locations across the country with little warning. 

The escalating row has caused medics who work at the Cork and Athlone bases to request a return to their original ambulance bases which are located elsewhere in Ireland.

As reported previously by The Journal, 10 specialist paramedics were formally assigned to the air ambulance bases earlier this year. 

Ireland has two helicopter emergency air ambulances – one is an Air Corps-operated aircraft based at Custume Barracks in Athlone and the other is located at Rathcool in North Cork.  

The service is known as the Emergency Aeromedical Service (EAS) in Ireland. 

Both helicopters have National Ambulance Service (NAS) paramedics onboard. Athlone is a solely State-run operation involving NAS and the Irish Air Corps, whereas Cork is managed by Malta-based Gulf Med Aviation Services. 

This service replaced the Irish Community Air Ambulance (ICAA) which was a charity that had struggled to fund the enterprise. 

Siptu sector organiser John McCamley has confirmed that a dispute has emerged from engagement between the medics and the HSE and NAS over rostering. 

“Siptu is engaging with HSE and NAS management in regard to an ongoing dispute. At this stage we are awaiting the outcome of the negotiations before issuing a statement,” he said. 

Sources have said that the issue centres around how the paramedics work when the helicopters are not flying. 

The air ambulances do not operate at night time – and NAS redeploys the paramedics during this period into a ground response role.

Sources have said that there are concerns from the paramedics that solo crewing may impact negatively on patient safety. The paramedics want to work in pairs as they believe this will be safer for the patients and themselves.

It is not believed that the row will not result in direct industrial action as yet and a source with knowledge of the behind-the-scenes discussions said that officials on both sides are eager to find a solution.

Sources have said that the paramedics issue is centred around the fact that they want to work solely for the helicopter service but that NAS wishes to deploy them to ambulance bases while the helicopter is not flying.

It is understood that an aspect to the dispute is the payment of allowances depending on the type of roster they are paid to operate under. 

In response a query about the dispute a NAS spokeswoman said: “Current staff scheduling at the HSE’s National Ambulance Service (NAS) Southwest Helicopter Emergency Medical Service continues as normal, notwithstanding the impact of the current severe weather.

“Any NAS staff not delivering services by air continue to provide it through land-based ambulances.”
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