To ask the Minister of Health whether he will consider expanding the role of the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service as first responders in life-threatening situations, to support the ambulance service in rural areas.

Mr Swann

First, I take this opportunity to express my heartfelt condolences to the friends and family of little Maggie Black. One can only but imagine the sense of shock and loss that her family and the wider Carnlough community have experienced over these last two months. In their grief, however, they still find the strength to campaign for greater emergency medical cover in rural communities. I am sure that I speak for all in the House when I commend them for their efforts and selfless determination. In response to the question, I am pleased that there has been much greater collaboration between healthcare providers and the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service over recent times. One of the most recent examples of that was firefighters providing driving assistance to the Ambulance Service in light of sustained workforce pressures. Do I believe that there could be greater collaboration? Yes, I do. Members may be aware that the Fire and Rescue Service was involved in a co-responder pilot in which crews were dispatched to cardiac arrest calls. That pilot proved successful in improving response times, and, last year, I asked that the possibility of its further roll-out be explored. The recent loss has brought the need for that into sharp focus and has brought a renewed sense of determination on my part. Although there is still some final work to be done, I hope to be able to announce details in the very near future.

Mr Swann

I thank the Member. I recently received an invitation to meet the family. I am willing to take up that invitation, and, if the Member wants to get in touch with my office, we can coordinate something at that point. As I said, the Ambulance Service previously engaged with the Fire and Rescue Service in a co-responder pilot in which fire crews were dispatched to cardiac arrest calls in the catchment areas of fire stations. That proved successful in improving responses, but further engagement with the Fire Brigades Union was required before it could be adopted more widely. In November of last year, Northern Ireland Ambulance Service's senior management held a meeting with their counterparts in the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service to explore how that could be rolled out across all of Northern Ireland. Discussions between the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service, Northern Ireland Ambulance Service and representative bodies for collaboration in an emergency medical response are ongoing. I will meet the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service's Chief Fire Officer and chair early next month.

Mr Butler

I would like to add my name to those offering condolences to the family of Maggie Black. They have suffered and put their grief into good work to try to see this through. I am sure that the Minister agrees with me that, having been an early responder to emergency incidents for many years, the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service has had its hands on victims of many different types of incident. Does the Minister agree that, using the learning from the first-class response that it has provided for Northern Ireland over the last 20 or 30 years, many aspects of collaboration could be explored through this potential arrangement?

Mr Swann

I thank the Member for his question. As he is aware, one of the things that makes Northern Ireland unique is the fact that the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service sits under the Department of Health. When I engage with the chair of the service or the Chief Fire and Rescue Officer, they see a natural fit for their services, and they see what they can do additionally by being part of the first response amongst our community responders. As I said, we have engaged with them. The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service also dispatches multiple community responder schemes across Northern Ireland. We want to work closely with it in order to make sure that there is synergy in the services and supports that the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service provides to its counterparts and compatriots in the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service.

Mr McGrath

I welcome the answers that the Minister has given so far about what seems to be quite a logical process. In my area, through no fault of the Ambulance Service, you could be waiting for up to 18 or 20 minutes for an ambulance to arrive in a 999 scenario, yet there are part-time fire stations that could have six paramedics rolling out within a matter of minutes. Does the Minister have any understanding of the work of the Dublin fire and rescue service, where that co-response already exists? I am meeting the Chief Fire Officer in Dublin on Friday. If the Minister felt that it were useful, we could have some follow-up meetings with departmental officials to try to roll the measure out.

Mr Swann

I have had engagement about taking it forward with our new Chief Fire and Rescue Officer, who is a driving force behind the additional services that the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service could provide. He brings experience from previous roles, and he understands the challenges, opportunities and additionality in what the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service can provide. Those conversations are ongoing. As I indicated, I will meet the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service Chief Fire and Rescue Officer and chair next month.

Ms Á Murphy

Minister, rural communities are experiencing a significant deficit of public services, not least in life-saving services. What plans does your Department have to address the lack of fire cover and ambulance provision in rural areas?

Mr Swann

The Member may or may not be aware that the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service has a public consultation out about how it restructures its management sector. It is looking to map that on to our local councils, which was not done when the new councils were set up. There is a consultation out so that the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service can also follow those boundaries. "Coterminosity" was a great word that was used at the time. It seems to have slipped, but the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service is progressing it.