Staffing crisis deepens in the West

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In a desperate bid to maintain ambulance cover and patient safety, the National Ambulance Service (NAS) has begun rostering paramedics from the West on an ad hoc basis to cover shifts in the Mid-West region, according to multiple frontline sources.

The move means that paramedics logging on for duty in Galway may now be redirected to cover shortfalls in the Limerick, Clare, and Tipperary areas, often at short notice. Crews have been told they may be permitted to rest at certain bases before being dispatched for emergency calls. Despite these redeployments, overtime continues to be required daily to staff ambulances across Galway, Mayo, and Roscommon, where chronic shortages persist.

Staff say the situation reflects a crisis in workforce planning and a growing sense of fatigue among ambulance personnel. Temporary staffing arrangements within Workforce Planning (WFP) have led to delayed rostering, with many paramedics receiving their duty schedules at the last minute - disrupting family life and eroding work-life balance

In a recent Oireachtas Health Committee hearing, deputies and senators questioned senior HSE and NAS officials about low morale, toxic workplace culture, and staff burnout across the ambulance service. The Irish Society of Paramedicine (ISP) - representing over 900 frontline ambulance professionals - has called for an independent review of NAS operations, warning that patchwork staffing solutions are unsustainable and unsafe.

“What’s happening in the West is a symptom of a system under severe strain,” says Jim Kelly, vice-chair of ISP. “Paramedics are being moved like chess pieces across regions simply to keep ambulances on the road. The focus must shift to sustainable workforce planning, recruitment, and genuine staff engagement.”

The ISP has repeatedly highlighted the disconnect between frontline realities and senior management decisions, warning that without urgent reform, patient safety, staff welfare, and service resilience will continue to deteriorate.