228:(RRV) crewed by a single paramedic. RRVs respond mostly to calls where there is a potential immediate life-threat (Category 1) because they can respond more quickly than a conventional ambulance, RRVs can also be used to respond to lower category of calls that may not require hospital care. Double-crew ambulances respond to both emergency and non-emergency (healthcare professional-initiated urgent) calls as well as providing critical-care transfers between hospitals. The Trust aims to provide at least one paramedic to every emergency call by staffing each double-crew emergency ambulance with two paramedics, or a paramedic and an EMT, and utilising RRV. The trust has not adopted the controversial use of
31:
841:
128:
200:
224:, which work shift patterns to ensure the service is operational 24/7. They are based across 46 stations and sub-stations, two control centres (emergency and non-emergency) and a regional ambulance training centre. It responds to approximately 201,000 emergency (999) calls per year (with the number of 999 calls is increasing per year) with a combination of traditional emergency ambulances with two crew members, and
270:
NIAS triages all emergency calls using an internationally recognised system of prioritisation. Currently it has a target time of eight minutes to reach the scene of the highest priority calls i.e. those deemed to represent an immediate risk to life, but during
December 2017 only 47.5% of this target
306:
In July 2022, NIAS average regional response time to the second highest priority calls (e.g. acute stroke) had risen to 39 minutes and 31 seconds. Paramedics have voiced their concern following reports that these lengthy response times have been a 'possible contributing factor' towards the death of
239:, NIAS has a fleet of Patient Care Service vehicles which are used for more routine patient transport to/from hospital. Within the Patient Care Service there are both single-crewed 'sitting case' (minibus) vehicles as well as double-crewed 'intermediate care vehicles' (ICV) which carry a stretcher.
271:
was met therefore the average response time in
Northern Ireland was 16 minutes 10 seconds. Currently the trust works with volunteer and private ambulance services to help cope and meet key response times, this is a result of the current increased demand due to an
279:
across
Northern Ireland over the last decade. Staff have expressed concern by the growing pressures they face and overall low morale across the service. The ambulance service aims to restructure their service to cope with future increased demand.
164:. It responds to medical emergencies in Northern Ireland with the 300-plus ambulance vehicles at its disposal. Its fleet includes mini-buses, ambulance officers' cars, support vehicles, RRVs and accident and emergency ambulances.
866:
555:
307:
14 people. The current NIAS Chief
Executive Michael Bloomfield has expressed his disappointment and partly blames the poor response times on the high number of staff shortages and lengthy waiting times to hand over patients at
623:
246:
to deliver a foundation degree in
Paramedic Science, with the first cohort of trainees graduating in December 2019 and the final 'fourth' cohort graduating in January 2023. Future cohorts are now managed directly by
707:
747:
452:
503:
807:
160:, approximately 1.9 million people. As with other ambulance services in the United Kingdom, it does not charge its patients directly for its services, but instead receives funding through general
873:
539:
954:
685:
607:
330:
258:(HEMS) for the first time in Northern Ireland, which was by then the only region of the UK not to have one. Following a public consultation, they partnered with the charity
1138:
714:
731:
947:
441:
419:
514:
799:
585:
859:
940:
262:
who provide the aircraft and airbase, with the doctors and paramedics provided by NIAS. The service undertook its first live mission in August 2017.
1148:
963:
320:
389:
303:. This recruitment is meant to quicken response times and relieve pressure on staff. As of May 2022 this funding has not been delivered.
677:
1143:
911:
882:
846:
477:
777:
654:
288:
916:
901:
921:
896:
1117:
1019:
989:
708:"NIAS TRUST BOARD - THURSDAY 25 AUGUST 2022 AT 10AM THE MOUNT CONFERENCE CENTRE, 2 WOODSTOCK LINK, BELFAST BT6 8DD"
1029:
1024:
1014:
984:
411:
335:
259:
577:
1009:
1004:
300:
296:
217:
1112:
1034:
225:
172:
NIAS was formed on 1 April 1995 through the amalgamation of its four predecessors. Its full title is the
1050:
236:
381:
999:
229:
221:
1107:
1066:
994:
325:
291:
to restructure the service and to recruit an additional 300 staff members, most of whom would be
932:
308:
255:
356:
30:
8:
840:
769:
646:
127:
800:"Northern Ireland hospitals 'beyond capacity' as ambulances left queuing for 11 hours"
1102:
739:
615:
547:
272:
248:
243:
157:
59:
540:"St John's Ambulance thanks Northern Ireland volunteers for work over busy winter"
145:
578:"Ambulance services and our ageing population – we need ReSPECT - aace.org.uk"
199:
1132:
743:
619:
608:"We've no confidence in bosses, Northern Ireland Ambulance Service staff say"
551:
212:
The service employs approximately 1,300 staff of which approximately 420 are
851:
292:
276:
213:
153:
283:
In
September 2018, the ambulance service requested an additional £30
770:"NI health crisis: Ambulance delays 'possible factor' in 14 deaths"
161:
478:"Ambulance trust accused of jeopardising patients by sending cars"
49:
678:"Ambulance chief warns of five-year wait to meet current demand"
847:
Regulation and
Quality Improvement Authority inspection reports
331:
List of
Government departments and agencies in Northern Ireland
174:
Northern
Ireland Ambulance Service Health and Social Care Trust
24:
Northern
Ireland Ambulance Service Health and Social Care Trust
962:
732:"Ambulances failed to reach 5,628 critical patients on time"
16:
Ambulance service that serves the whole of Northern Ireland
834:
251:
with the BSc honours degree commencing in September 2021.
118:
442:"Annual Report and Accounts for Year Ended 31 March 2019"
232:(ECA) in the way some other UK ambulance services have.
179:
The service is split up into five operational areas:
242:
In 2019, the service entered a partnership with the
1139:Health and social care trusts in Northern Ireland
1130:
321:Emergency medical services in the United Kingdom
338:– Ambulance service in the Republic of Ireland
203:Ambulance in Ann Street, Belfast, October 2009
948:
867:
254:In 2016, NIAS was commissioned to provide a
955:
941:
912:South Eastern Health and Social Care Trust
881:
874:
860:
839:
126:
964:Ambulance services in the United Kingdom
675:
647:"Demand jumps for NI ambulance services"
198:
150:Seirbhís Otharchairr Thuaisceart Éireann
1149:1995 establishments in Northern Ireland
1131:
657:from the original on 30 September 2018
936:
917:Southern Health and Social Care Trust
902:Northern Health and Social Care Trust
855:
922:Western Health and Social Care Trust
897:Belfast Health and Social Care Trust
810:from the original on 8 December 2022
750:from the original on 8 December 2022
644:
626:from the original on 1 February 2019
588:from the original on 10 January 2023
558:from the original on 16 January 2018
256:helicopter emergency medical service
780:from the original on 29 August 2022
688:from the original on 31 August 2022
645:Rice, Clodagh (27 September 2018).
69:5,345 square miles (13,840 km)
13:
1118:St John Ambulance Northern Ireland
1083:Northern Ireland Ambulance Service
907:Northern Ireland Ambulance Service
511:Northern Ireland Ambulance Service
449:Northern Ireland Ambulance Service
361:Northern Ireland Ambulance Service
138:Northern Ireland Ambulance Service
14:
1160:
1144:Organizations established in 1995
826:
676:McAleese, Deborah (11 May 2022).
513:. 1 February 2018. Archived from
422:from the original on 22 June 2023
392:from the original on 22 June 2023
156:service that serves the whole of
85:46 stations and deployment points
458:from the original on 12 May 2020
29:
792:
762:
724:
700:
669:
638:
600:
570:
532:
496:
470:
434:
404:
374:
349:
336:HSE National Ambulance Service
265:
260:Air Ambulance Northern Ireland
1:
890:Health and social care trusts
412:"Chief Executive | NIAS"
342:
218:emergency medical technicians
287:million in funding from the
7:
1113:St John Ambulance (England)
314:
207:
10:
1165:
1051:Scottish Ambulance Service
504:"A Meeting of Trust Board"
237:emergency medical services
167:
1095:
1075:
1059:
1043:
977:
970:
889:
230:emergency care assistants
113:
105:
97:
89:
81:
73:
65:
55:
45:
37:
28:
23:
1108:St John Ambulance Cymru
1067:Welsh Ambulance Service
326:National Health Service
226:rapid response vehicles
883:Health and Social Care
612:BelfastTelegraph.co.uk
544:BelfastTelegraph.co.uk
357:"Area Contact Details"
204:
149:
309:Emergency Departments
301:emergency call takers
202:
289:Department of Health
222:control centre staff
382:"Chair | NIAS"
275:and the squeeze on
235:In addition to the
101:Michael Bloomfield
720:on 29 August 2022.
220:(EMT) and 100 are
205:
186:South Eastern Area
56:Region served
1126:
1125:
1103:British Red Cross
1091:
1090:
930:
929:
736:Belfast Telegraph
249:Ulster University
244:Ulster University
134:
133:
1156:
1076:Northern Ireland
1020:South East Coast
975:
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950:
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835:Official website
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789:
787:
785:
776:. 6 April 2022.
766:
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757:
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728:
722:
721:
719:
713:. Archived from
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427:
408:
402:
401:
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397:
378:
372:
371:
369:
367:
353:
286:
273:aging population
158:Northern Ireland
130:
125:
122:
120:
93:Michele Larmour
60:Northern Ireland
33:
21:
20:
1164:
1163:
1159:
1158:
1157:
1155:
1154:
1153:
1129:
1128:
1127:
1122:
1087:
1071:
1055:
1039:
990:East of England
966:
961:
931:
926:
885:
880:
833:
832:
829:
824:
823:
813:
811:
798:
797:
793:
783:
781:
768:
767:
763:
753:
751:
730:
729:
725:
717:
710:
706:
705:
701:
691:
689:
674:
670:
660:
658:
643:
639:
629:
627:
606:
605:
601:
591:
589:
576:
575:
571:
561:
559:
538:
537:
533:
523:
521:
517:
506:
502:
501:
497:
487:
485:
476:
475:
471:
461:
459:
455:
444:
440:
439:
435:
425:
423:
410:
409:
405:
395:
393:
380:
379:
375:
365:
363:
355:
354:
350:
345:
317:
284:
277:public spending
268:
210:
170:
117:
109:1,300 (2018/19)
98:Chief executive
17:
12:
11:
5:
1162:
1152:
1151:
1146:
1141:
1124:
1123:
1121:
1120:
1115:
1110:
1105:
1099:
1097:
1093:
1092:
1089:
1088:
1086:
1085:
1079:
1077:
1073:
1072:
1070:
1069:
1063:
1061:
1057:
1056:
1054:
1053:
1047:
1045:
1041:
1040:
1038:
1037:
1032:
1027:
1022:
1017:
1012:
1007:
1002:
997:
992:
987:
981:
979:
972:
968:
967:
960:
959:
952:
945:
937:
928:
927:
925:
924:
919:
914:
909:
904:
899:
893:
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878:
871:
864:
856:
850:
849:
844:
828:
827:External links
825:
822:
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723:
699:
668:
637:
599:
569:
531:
520:on 12 May 2020
495:
484:. 13 July 2017
469:
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416:nias.hscni.net
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386:nias.hscni.net
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82:Establishments
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1030:West Midlands
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1015:South Central
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995:Isle of Wight
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985:East Midlands
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944:
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905:
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195:Southern Area
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1082:
906:
812:. Retrieved
803:
794:
782:. Retrieved
773:
764:
752:. Retrieved
735:
726:
715:the original
702:
690:. Retrieved
681:
671:
661:30 September
659:. Retrieved
650:
640:
628:. Retrieved
611:
602:
590:. Retrieved
581:
572:
560:. Retrieved
543:
534:
522:. Retrieved
515:the original
510:
498:
486:. Retrieved
482:the Guardian
481:
472:
460:. Retrieved
448:
436:
424:. Retrieved
415:
406:
394:. Retrieved
385:
376:
364:. Retrieved
360:
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253:
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234:
211:
189:Western Area
183:Belfast Area
178:
173:
171:
141:
137:
135:
46:Headquarters
41:1 April 1995
18:
582:aace.org.uk
524:19 February
266:Performance
77:1.9 million
38:Established
1133:Categories
1010:North West
1005:North East
814:8 December
754:8 December
630:31 January
592:10 January
562:15 January
462:3 December
366:3 December
343:References
293:Paramedics
216:, 300 are
214:paramedics
74:Population
1035:Yorkshire
784:29 August
744:0307-1235
692:31 August
620:0307-1235
552:0307-1235
488:2 January
154:ambulance
66:Area size
1044:Scotland
808:Archived
804:Sky News
778:Archived
774:BBC News
748:Archived
686:Archived
682:ITV News
655:Archived
651:BBC News
624:Archived
586:Archived
556:Archived
453:Archived
420:Archived
390:Archived
315:See also
208:Services
162:taxation
152:) is an
1096:Charity
978:England
426:22 June
396:22 June
168:History
114:Website
50:Belfast
1000:London
742:
618:
550:
285:
121:.hscni
1060:Wales
718:(PDF)
711:(PDF)
518:(PDF)
507:(PDF)
456:(PDF)
445:(PDF)
146:Irish
106:Staff
90:Chair
816:2022
786:2022
756:2022
740:ISSN
694:2022
663:2018
632:2019
616:ISSN
594:2023
564:2018
548:ISSN
526:2018
490:2023
464:2019
428:2023
398:2023
368:2019
299:and
297:EMTs
142:NIAS
136:The
123:.net
119:nias
971:NHS
1135::
806:.
802:.
772:.
746:.
738:.
734:.
684:.
680:.
653:.
649:.
622:.
614:.
610:.
584:.
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542:.
509:.
480:.
451:.
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418:.
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384:.
359:.
311:.
295:,
176:.
148::
144:,
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788:.
758:.
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596:.
566:.
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430:.
400:.
370:.
140:(
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