Ambulances taking more than 40 minutes to clear at UHL

THE TURNAROUND time for ambulances at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) has reduced by an average of three minutes compared to last year, but it still takes more than 40 minutes for an ambulance to be cleared after its arrival time.

General manager of area operations for the National Ambulance Service (NAS), Niall Murray, told the Regional Health Forum West meeting that “increased activity in ambulance bays outside the emergency department of hospitals is to be expected at a time of high activity.”

He added that delays in turnaround times at the hospital significantly impact their “ability to respond to patients in the community.”

In 2023, it took an average of 45 minutes and 19 seconds for an ambulance to clear from its arrival time.

Between January and April of 2024, that had gone down slightly to 42 minutes and 23 seconds.