Ambulance crews in Clare spent a week taking lengthy diversions when responding to emergency calls despite provision being made for them to access a main road that was closed for water-mains works.
However, it appears the National Ambulance Service (NAS) wasn’t aware than arrangements were in place and emergency contact numbers available to facilitate crews responding to calls.
Irish Water said the 24-hour road closure in Ennis was necessary to expedite works but confirmed it had an “agreed plan and procedure in place with the Emergency Services to take into account the disruption of this road closure.”
However, the National Ambulance Service didn’t advise all paramedics in Clare that the emergency facility was available. Those paramedics who later became aware of the provision said it wasn’t feasible and that it was easier to take the alternative routes.
A spokesman for the National Ambulance Service (NAS) said: “The NAS can confirm we were made aware of the works and NAS crews are taking the diversions as a result.”
Paramedics have again slammed management for failing to “communicate” with them and “not knowing what’s happening in the west.”
The works, which took place all last week, resulted in the closure of the R352 route that links Ennis with the M18 motorway and east Clare and is used by over 15,000 vehicles every day.
Ennis fire service and fire personnel living outside the works area, had been advised they would have access and were provided with contact numbers for a person on duty at the works site.
However, according to ambulance paramedics, they were never advised of any such arrangements.
It has emerged that two ambulances gained access to the emergency lane provided but this, according to paramedics, was because they arrived at the works site unaware the road was even closed.
While the works were less than a kilometre from the Ennis ambulance base and just 3.5 kilometres from junction 13 of the M18, crews had to take a 7km detour to access the motorway.
If there was an emergency on the other side of the works, ambulance crews would have to take an almost 8km detour via the Quin Road.
“It was a complete mess. We were told there would be a road closure and that we would have to take alternative routes. Then we heard the road would be opened for us but when we tried that it just wasn’t feasible,” one paramedic said.
“One ambulance arrived at the works and it was completely blocked up. It was faster for the crew to take the detour than wait for the road to be opened,” he said.
The National Ambulance Service hasn’t responded to any further queries in relation to the matter.
Clare County Councillor Johnny Flynn had objected to the road closure on the basis that the road was a “critical direct emergency vehicle route from the hospital, fire and Garda stations to a large population and property base in the Roslevan area, in addition to the general response area of the M18 and East Clare.”