Earlier this year PHECC prepared a submission to the Oireachtas Committee on the Future of Healthcare, focusing on the area of pre-hospital care. Here are some of PHECC’s recommendation to the Oireachtas Committee.
Incorporating paramedicine as a resource within the health system as it addresses the needs of the patient in the community, while exploring options for developing an expanded scope of practice and facilitating collaboration of the pre-hospital practitioners into multidisciplinary teams.
The growing pressure on the health system and a significant shortage of health professionals has required consideration of alternative models of healthcare delivery. Over the past 20 years, a fundamental shift has occurred in healthcare delivery worldwide, largely due to advances in science and technology. This shift has been paralled by increasing recognition that healthcare is no longer the primary preserve of doctors and nurses. Rather, healthcare delivery is a team effort with optimal results being harnessed with a multi-disciplinary approach to care delivery. Paramedics are well positioned to be part of a multi-disciplinary team approach to primary care and contribute to the advancement of patient access to care in Ireland.