Minister, Minister of State, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen it gives me great pleasure to welcome you here this evening,
The Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council is delighted that Minister Micheal Martin has tonight launched this very important programme. The launch is the first in a series of steps towards the broad implementation of 'Advanced Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Skills' to be provided to patients throughout the Republic of Ireland by our Ambulance Staff.
The new standards will enhance and build upon the excellent care that has been provided by our teams of dedicated ambulance professionals.
This is a major step forward for both patients and health care providers alike. Once the programme of education and training is complete, the public can expect a level of pre-hospital emergency care comparable with the most advanced standards found anywhere in the world.
It is important to recognise the very significant progress that has been made in the development of Ambulance Services in this country since the Review of the Ambulance Service was launched in November 1993 - not quite ten years ago. Among those related specifically to training and development of Ambulance Personnel were:
- Development of an enhanced training programme leading to the qualification of Emergency Medical Technician
- Development of Conversion programmes for existing ambulance staff
- Delivery of training in both programmes to over 1000 staff in both the Health Board and Dublin Fire Brigade Services
- Reorganisation and enhancement of the National Ambulance Training School
- Development of the Diploma in Emergency Medical Technology in partnership between the National Ambulance Training School and the Department of General Practice of University College Dublin
- Development of Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Ambulance Service
- Development and conduct of independent examinations leading to the award of NQEMT
A key driver and enabler of these developments was the establishment of the National Ambulance Advisory Council, (NAAC) which was responsible, inter alia, for introducing the significant changes in training and education that I have just outlined. The NAAC was replaced by the Pre Hospital Emergency Care Council in 2000.
The PreHospital Emergency Care Council has a broader remit and range of responsibilities, being an independent statutory body charged with responsibility for standards, education and training for all pre-hospital emergency care in Ireland, as defined in its Establishment Order.
This Order provides for the Council to set standards, conduct examinations, award qualifications, accredit training institutions and maintain records of holders of both National Qualification in Emergency Medical Technology (NQEMT and non-national qualifications, as well as approving Clinical Practice Guidelines and standards. Since its establishment PHECC has completed a large volume of work and I would like to acknowledge the dedication and contribution of Council Members, the Standing Committees, and the Medical Advisory Group and especially of the dedicated staff led by the Director Dr. Geoff King and his Deputy Barry O'Sullivan.
Their experience, expertise and dedication have provided the impetus for this major development to take place. However, we must also recognise and acknowledge all those people and organisations that created the foundation to strive for the pursuit of excellence in this specialist field of advanced pre-hospital emergency care. In particular I would like to note the contribution of the members of the National Ambulance Advisory Council, its chairman Mr Manus Ward and especially the people who were involved in the initial drafting of the EMT-A programme - Dr Maura Carroll, Dr Tony Ryan, Mr Mark Doyle, Prof Gerard Bury and Mr Brian Power.
All providers of pre-hospital emergency care practicing to the standards and in receipt of qualifications accredited by PHECC are now registered on the PHECC national database.
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This provides for va lidation of knowledge, skills and competence to deliver excellence in pre-hospital emergency care and aligns with the missing statement of PHECC, which states;
"The Pre-Hospitol Emergency Core Council exists to specify, review, maintain and monitor standards of excellence for the delivery of prehospital emergency core for the people in Ireland"
A programme of EMT-A Training will initiate the process of moving tp a new phase in the provision of advanced pre-hospital emergency care. When this has been achieved, EMT-As will begin to provide operational responses to emergency calls.
The EMT-A programme has evolved gradually, progressively and most importantly of all, incrementally. It is internationally recognised that the underpinning requirement of all prehospital emergency care is the provision of excellence in Basic life Support Techniques; we in Ireland are fortunate that our Emergency Medical Technicians have been educated and trained to ensure this critical element has been universally established at a very high level and it is important to recognise that this achievement was essential before proceeding to develop and launch an advanced training programme.
I pay tribute to the ambulance professionals who have undergone this training and also to those who have delivered the training to achieve this important primary objective.
Additional supporting initiatives will have to be completed prior to the commencement of Paramedic style training in Ireland. Work is still in progress in four fields;
- The regulatory changes to the administration of medications have to be finalised;
- The EMT-A clinical leader course needs to be approved by Council;
- An order making provision for the establishment of a register of practitioners needs to be approved;
- The advanced clinical practice guidelines need to be approved and field trialled;
Work on all these items is at an advanced stage.
In order to ensure the strategic direction and standards of clinical practice are effective and patient focused all providers of pre-hospital emergency care and particularly EMT-As will practice to the standards developed and accredited by the PHECC. A register of all prehospital emergency care professional will be held on the PHECC national database. This provides for validalion of knowledge, skills and competencies to deliver excellence in pre-hospital emergency care and aligns with the mission statement of PHECC.
We move to this new phase of the provision of advanced pre-hospital emergency care with the sound knowledge that the Health Service now has in place all the required components to develop effective clinical practice guidelines, educate, train and examine EMT-As competence in order to deliver high quality pre-hospital care to every patient who needs it. The commencement of the training programme for EMT-As will initiate the process, after which EMT-As will incrementally provide advanced skills to emergency calls throughout the country.
I am pleased to welcome and support the official launch of this programme for the introduction of Advanced Emergency Medical Technicians. It will undoubtedly improve patient outcomes through enhanced skills. I would like to thank the Department of Health and Children particularly Mr. Denis O'Sullivan and Mr. Eddie Flood for their support and assistance and conclude by again thanking the Minister for launching the programme.
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