A message from frontline ambulance staff

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For years, the public has heard about investment in the National Ambulance Service: new vehicles, new buildings, new technology, and new response models.

Rarely do we hear about investment in the people inside the ambulances.

The emergency medical technicians (EMT), paramedics and advanced paramedics working through the night, missing family events, finishing shifts hours late, carrying exhaustion from one shift into the next while continuing to answer 999 calls for communities across Ireland.

Ambulance staff do not want strike action. Nobody joins this profession wanting to stand outside stations instead of helping patients. It would be far easier to simply come to work, do the job and go home safely after shift. Frontline staff are compelled to take action now because we feel forgotten.

The reality on the ground is becoming harder to ignore. Crews are tied up for hours at overcrowded emergency departments. Relentless night shifts, with little recovery, and increasing clinical responsibility are increasing rates of burnout. The sad reality is that there mounting pressure on a service that is dependent the goodwill of its staff to it keep functioning.

Today’s ambulance clinicians are not simply “drivers” or transport staff. Modern EMTs, paramedics and advanced paramedics deliver complex emergency healthcare every day: administering advanced medications, managing cardiac arrests, treating severe trauma, delivering lifesaving interventions, and making critical decisions long before a patient reaches hospital.

The role has changed dramatically over the last two decades; staff believe recognition has not kept pace. The current dispute is not just about wages, but also respect, retention, and the future sustainability of emergency ambulance services in Ireland. Without properly supported staff, there is no ambulance service. Every new ambulance needs a crew. Every emergency call needs clinicians. Every family in crisis needs someone to arrive through the door.

The Irish Society of Paramedicine is calling on government to urgently intervene before next week’s planned industrial action. There is still time to prevent escalation. However, frontline staff need to see meaningful engagement and meaningful investment in the people who keep this service running every single day.

We are also asking the public for understanding and support. Behind every ambulance is a crew carrying enormous responsibility, fatigue and emotional strain; continuing to provide care during the worst moments of people’s lives. Please support your frontline ambulance staff; one day, it may be your family waiting for that ambulance to arrive.

Irish Society of Paramedicine

Advocating for staff. Supporting patient care. Strengthening the profession.