An elderly resident of Achill Island who fell and fractured her wrist last week had to wait more than four hours for an ambulance. Achill is about 40 miles from Castlebar, the main ambulance base for Co Mayo.
Doctors on the island have written to TDs, the Minister for Health and the Western Health Board about the delays.
A local GP phoned for an ambulance at 8 a.m. to bring the woman to Merlin Park Hospital in Galway. At 11 a.m. he heard from the woman's relatives that no ambulance had arrived. The doctor again contacted the control centre to be told an ambulance had just left.
The previous week the GP had asked for an ambulance to transfer a patient with a broken hip to Merlin Park. Four hours later the doctor was told no ambulance was available to make the transfer.
Fine Gael TD Mr Enda Kenny says he has been in contact with the health board about the situation. "The health board have explained to me that a new method of ordering ambulances is in practice at Mayo General Hospital.
"The situation has been found now to slow down the ambulance arrival times. The board has assured me they will be reverting to the old system where one unit is responsible for ambulance supply and management."