The Buncrana community is one of three pilot regions included in the roll out of a new Community Paramedic Project.
The ‘Co-operation and Working Together’ cross-border initiative was launched to enable paramedics to provide safe and effective care to patients in their homes and communities.
The project allows paramedics to broaden the routine healthcare services they provide and help to improve rural urgent medical services. Since commencement, it has already reduced unnecessary ambulance transports to emergency departments.
In addition, the EU funding of €1.1 million is being used to invest in new rapid response vehicles for the pilot areas in the three ambulance regions.
Pictured in front of the Rapid Response Vehicle are (from left to right): Brian McNeill, Director of Operations, NI Ambulance Service; Bernie McCrory, Chief Officer, CAWT cross border health; Wendy Quinn, Head of Service, Scottish Ambulance Service; Tony O’Brien, Director General, HSE; Sean Murphy, General Manager, Letterkenny University Hospital and Martin Dunne, Director, National Ambulance Service (Rep of Ireland).
These vehicles are fitted out specifically to provide care to patients in their homes or their community. This means that, within the pilot areas, more patients can be treated at home instead of having to be transported by ambulance to hospital emergency departments.
This new collaboration between the three national ambulance services of Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland and Scotland has been warmly welcomed and has resulted in the establishment of Community Paramedic services in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Pictured (from left to right) are: Bridget Clarke and Louise Potts, Cross Border CAWT Acute Project; Brian McNeill, Director of Operations, NI Ambulance Service; Bernie McCrory, Chief Officer, CAWT cross border health; Martin Dunne, Director, National Ambulance Service (Rep of Ireland); Wendy Quinn, Head of Service, Scottish Ambulance Service; Sean Murphy, General Manager, Letterkenny University Hospital and Michael Rooney, HSE.
Community Paramedics associated with this project are undergoing specialised training accredited by Glasgow Caledonian University.
EU INTERREG VA funding of €1.1 million was secured for the project for an 18 month period. The four pilot localities include Buncrana, Co. Donegal and Clones, Co. Monaghan in the border region of Ireland, Castlederg, Co Tyrone in Northern Ireland and the Argyle & Bute region in SW Scotland.
