LETTERKENNY University Hospital had the second highest bill for private ambulance services in the country last year.
The figures obtained from the HSE show that Letterkenny Hospital spent €738,981 in 2016 on private ambulances because vehicles from the National Ambulance Service were not available.
The only hospital to spend more was Mayo University Hospital which spent more than €770,000 during the same period.
The figure for Letterkenny has dropped from 2015 when a massive €1.271 million was spent on private ambulances and this compares to €708,000 in 2014.
Asked to comment on the use of private ambulances a spokesperson for the HSE said: “The HSE entered into a Service Level Agreement for Private Ambulance services following a mini competition issued for the provision of Private Transport Services.
“The successful companies were as follows: Lifeline, Medicall, Beaumont, and Murray Ambulance Services.
“This transport is used for inter hospital transfers and admission / discharge of stretcher patients from and to Community Hospitals on those occasions when the NAS (National Ambulance Service) is unable to provide the required transport.”
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