Ambulance Service says PSNI would have been needed at 2,000 calls it attended

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'A significant proportion are of such a nature that PSNI attendance would have been necessary in addition to NIAS attendance.'

The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) has said crews would have attended many of the 2,000 calls police had said their officers dealt with, but their response may have been delayed.

At the Justice Committee last week Chief Constable Simon Byrne said his officers were faced with a moral dilemma in having to deal with the calls. He said the service's resources were being stretched and they faced a dire financial situation in the coming years.

Police officers have been taking people to hospital in their patrol cars when the ambulance service has not been able to attend due to the unprecedented pressure it is under.

Mr Byrne said "from memory" around 50% of the calls for an ambulance, medics never arrived on the scene.

However, in response, the Ambulance Service said a "significant proportion" would have required the attendance of both services.

In a statement it said the types of calls would include road traffic collisions, assaults, or calls that could involve potential violence towards their staff or a requirement to gain access to properties.

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"NIAS did attend many of these calls, however a response may have been delayed," it said.

"NIAS greatly appreciates the assistance and co-operation of PSNI across all levels of the organisations but particularly in the operational environment.

"We both share the same aim of protecting and serving our communities and we can only do so when public confidence is assured.

NIAS currently faces challenges in providing timely responses to less urgent calls, many of which the PSNI may already be in attendance at.

"On occasions PSNI officers may make an operational decision, based on what they see as the best interests of the patient, to cancel the ambulance and to transport the patient to hospital.

"NIAS appreciates this support from our PSNI colleagues. We would hope that clarification will be provided to the Justice Committee."

UTV reported in January that a quarter of the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service were off work sparking longer waiting times even for the most ill patients.

NIAS chief executive Michael Bloomfield said while the sickest patients are prioritised, as waiting times get longer, there have been instances where they have had to advise callers to, where possible, make their own way to hospital.