Claim it took more than 8 hours to discharge waiting ambulance patient into UHK

A Kerry councillor has claimed that it took almost 8 and a half hours for an ambulance to discharge a patient at the Emergency Department of University Hospital Kerry yesterday.

Fianna Fáil councillor Mikey Sheehy says a lack of capacity and resources within the ED coupled with the hospital getting busier are contributing to a knock-on effect on ambulances.

Cllr Sheehy is also renewing his calls for an urgent review of the centralised ambulance callout system.

He says that the first available ambulance is tasked to an emergency regardless of where it is and this is leading to longer call out times, especially in rural areas:

Radio Kerry News has contacted the HSE for comment.