by Louise Doyle
LETTERKENNY University Hospital has incurred costs of more than €4 million on private ambulances in the last three years.
Figures provided to the Donegal News from the HSE show €4,391, 293 was incurred in the hiring of private ambulances in 2021, 2022 and up to September of this year.
A breakdown of the costs incurred by LUH in the hiring of private ambulances show the highest spend was in 2021, when the HSE forked out €1,732,630.
Costs incurred by the hospital in 2022 for private ambulances added up to €1,440,568.
Up to September of this year, LUH incurred costs of €1,218,095 on the hiring of private ambulances.
The figures are a rise of €0.7m on the monies spent on private ambulances in LUH over a double time frame between 2011 to 2017, when €3.6m was spent.
Nationally, HSE spending on private ambulances ballooned by 37 per cent in the space of one year. In 2020, €9.9 million was spent on private ambulances. However, in 2021 year it rose to €13.6 million.
The HSE’s National Ambulance Service usually deals with emergency calls and private ambulances are drafted in to deal with patients who are less seriously ill.
The largest provider of private ambulances in the State is Lifeline Ambulance Service.
Lifeline Ambulance Service was formed in 1999 to provide transport for hospital inpatients travelling from hospital to hospital for routine, scheduled and emergency tests and or procedures.
The service has expanded to cover repatriations, event cover, transplant team and organ transport services.
Receive quality journalism wherever you are, on any device. Keep up to date from the comfort of your own home with a digital subscription.
Any time | Any place | Anywhere
SUBSCRIBE TO CURRENT EDITION TODAY
and get access to our archive editions dating back to 2007(CLICK ON THE TITLE BELOW TO SUBSCRIBE)