Cardiac First Responders disband: UPDATED

Kilcullen Cardiac First Responders has disbanded after six years in operation—because of what they say is a lack of cooperation from the HSE Ambulance Service, writes Brian Byrne. But one member says she intends to keep it going.

The committee decided last Tuesday by a majority at their meeting to disband. Chairperson Nichola Kennedy says that the Responders only received two calls since last August, despite knowledge of several incidents of possible cardiac arrest in their area which were called in to 999 but were not automatically notified to the Responders by the Ambulance Service.

“It’s a waste of the service and a waste of people's time,” says Nichola Kennedy. “The whole service depends on us getting calls from the Ambulance Service and we weren't getting calls. In the end, at our meeting on Tuesday night we officially turned off the mobile phone and disbanded the group.”

However, group member Geri Dineen said last night that the HSE has been 'passed over to me to take over' following Tuesday night's meeting. She says Des Kelly of the HSE told her the group cannot be disbanded 'if there is at least one person interested in taking over'. "And I am," she told the Diary. "The scheme needs fine tuning but is too important to let go."

Pat Behan of the Calverstown CFR, which has been closely related to the Kilcullen group, says 'problems will be solved'. He also told the Diary that his group will give cover to Kilcullen while the situation here is being resolved.

The Irish Heart Foundation, which is a partner in the CFR scheme nationally, says it is aware that the Ambulance Service is 'looking at reorganising the system'.

Nichola Kennedy, one of seven in the current Kilcullen group who have been there since it was formed, says they have had ’difficulties’ with the HSE about the lack of communication over a long period.

“We have brought the matter to their attention a number of times over the years, and they gave us excuses like ’the system is changing’ or 'there's a problem with the phone'. They even took the phone away at one time to ’try and fix it’ but it made no difference.”

She says there have been what she describes as ’political’ dificulties with the provision of the service. “When the management of the operation was moved from Naas to Dublin we thought things would improve, but they didn’t."

In some cases other CFR groups around the country have published their responder phone number in the hope that they can be contacted directly in an emergency. Nichola says KFR decided not to do that, as it could both lead to calls for non-appropriate emergencies as well as raise insurance issues.

Over the six years up to 50 people trained in cardiac emergency response with the Kilcullen group.

"We're all very disappointed. But at the end of the day it was almost unanimous that there was no point in us carrying around this bag and not getting calls. We were all quite prepared to stay on board if we were getting the calls, but there was no incentive to keep going."

The portable defibrillator equipment used by the group was provided by Kilcullen Lions Club.

 
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