PNA Ambulance Branch - a new era

Every day, we give our best on the frontline — saving lives, supporting patients, and carrying immense responsibility. We do this with pride. But when it comes to representation, we deserve better. The recent rejection of the ballot on WRC proposals on the implementation of recommendations from the McHugh/Crabtree report clearly shows that the current unions are deaf to our opinions and concerns.

The Irish Society of Paramedicine (ISP) has heard your demands for fairness and recognition of your professionalism, something the current negotiators have not. We have realised over the past few months since our establishment that we can only go so far regarding representation on your behalf. To continue our important and independent work, we need the provisions and resources of a registered trade union — something which, unfortunately, we as a society cannot provide.

Today marks the beginning of a new chapter for ambulance staff in ireland. From within the ISP we acknowledge the commitment of our colleagues who have established a dedicated union branch within the PNA specifically for the purpose of representation of NAS professionals. We acknowledge that this initiative provides workers with a strong respected and united voice.

Experience has shown that we need to represent ourselves, and the PNA/NASRA Ambulance Branch allows us to do just that. Organised by ambulance service workers for National Ambulance Service (NAS) staff, PNA/NASRA is member-led, bottom-up, registered, and recognised. Established in 1969, the PNA has been a recognised trade union within the HSE for over fifty years.

The ISP will continue as a professional forum for pre-hospital colleagues to share, engage, and develop together. That community remains central to who we are. But a trade union structure is required to take on the very real industrial, pay, legal, and workplace challenges we face.