The director of the National Ambulance Service says tackling ambulance turnaround times is a top priority for the organisation.
Robert Morton was speaking at the Public Accounts Committee where he was questioned by Cork East TD James O’Connor who spoke about a recent incident in the area where a man died after being forced to wait over 90 minutes for an ambulance.
Ambulance crews are frequently held up at hospitals due to a lack of bed spaces, which in turn prevents them from reaching subsequent emergency calls.
The HSEs target for ambulance turnaround times is 30 minutes, however crews are reporting much longer wait times at both Cork University Hospital and the Mercy.
National Ambulance Service director Robert Morton says the turnaround times are a serious clinic risk.
