Chairperson of the HSE West/North West Forum, Cllr Gerry McMonagle, is asking the HSE to clarify the situation around full time contracts for 80 National Ambulance Service workers.
“These are 80 newly qualified paramedics who have completed every academic and clinical requirement placed before them.
“They are frontline professionals who have completed a full three year BSc in Paramedic Studies, including in house instruction, on road placements, six internal examinations, four state examinations, full time ambulance internships, clinical competency assessments, detailed patient portfolios, continuous academic assessment through University College Cork, and final qualification through the Pre Hospital Emergency Care Council.
“They are already responding to cardiac arrests, strokes, major trauma, emergency childbirths, mental health crises, and critically ill patients across the country,” said Cllr McMonagle.
“Historically, including as recently as three months ago, paramedics who completed this pathway transitioned to permanent contracts upon qualification.
“That was until February 20 where they were informed that they would not automatically move to a Permanent Position but get a temporary extension of their contract for a further 16 weeks, during which they must apply through an internal competition for approved and funded permanent posts.
“This is a complete break from normal practice and the HSE are putting in jeopardy the full-time contracts of this cohort of 80 qualified Ambulance Paramedics it is also breaking with established practices within the National Ambulance Service,” added Cllr McMonagle.
“I am now calling on the HSE to clarify the situation and to provide these eighty NAS Members with Full Time Contracts without further delay and to put an end to this uncertainty for its Ambulance Personnel,” concluded Cllr McMonagle.
