New Medical Advisory Committee

The Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council at its March 2013 meeting has reconstituted the Medical Advisory Group to the status of a full standing committee of PHECC, now called the Medical Advisory Committee (MAC). The terms of reference are: ‘to consider and advise Council on clinical matters’.

Membership of the Medical Advisory Committee has been updated to reflect its role as an expert committee and also to take into account the evolving healthcare landscape in Ireland today. When MAG was initially formed there were nine statutory ambulance services in Ireland, today we have two. Clinical expertise among pre-hospital emergency care practitioners was limited, today we have advanced paramedics, many who have masters degrees. When PHECC commenced in 2001 we had ‘ambulance drivers’ today we have pre-hospital emergency care practitioners on a statutory register.

In recognition of the professional developments that have occurred, PHECC is now hosting elections for pre-hospital emergency care practitioners for selection onto MAC. Practitioners will have a direct voice into their scope of practice.

New stakeholders in pre-hospital emergency care have been identified and invited to participate. The Irish College of Paramedics, the Irish Association for Emergency Medicine and the HSE Emergency Medicine Programme have all been invited to nominate a representative.