NAS welcomes International Accreditation for NEOC

This week, the National Ambulance Service (NAS) has received confirmation, that its National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) based in Tallaght and Ballyshannon, has once again been awarded as an ACCREDITED CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE IN EMERGENCY MEDICAL DISPATCH.

This accreditation standard, awarded by the International Academy of Emergency Dispatch, is intended to drive consistency and standards in the handling of emergency calls and the clinical prioritisation of responses to ensure sickest patients are responded to first.

NAS NEOC is among just 10% of such large scale or national centres worldwide to consistently secure this international accreditation since NEOC was first established over 10 years ago.

Welcoming this award, Robert Morton, the Director of the National Ambulance Service (NAS) said:

“This award is an absolute reflection of the hard work and patient centredness of our staff who remain steadfast in their commitment to quality of care for patients every day.

Our Managers, Supervisors and Emergency Medical Controllers work 24/7/365 to ensure we can receive 999 calls efficiently, prioritise responses based on patient needs and ensure our responders and crews have the clinical information they need enroute to patients and prepare for hazardous situations.”

In 2025, NAS has already announced specific investment plans to increase NEOC capacity which includes:

• 15 additional Emergency Medical Controllers in the National Emergency Operations Centre (NEOC) to respond to the growing number of 999 calls received
• 6 additional Specialist Paramedics to work in the NAS Clinical Hub to undertake secondary triage of 999 calls and identify calls requiring an alternative pathway of care

NAS NEOC was established in 2014 following recommendations from HIQA to move away from local Control Centres and invest in digital transformation required to enable the delivery of modern ambulance services, and eliminate clinical risk to patients associated with former Health Board boundaries where the nearest available ambulance was not always dispatched to an emergency incident.

NEOC coordinates all NAS services including the Emergency Care Service (999), Urgent Care Services, the Intermediate Care Service and the Critical Care and Retrieval Service.

NAS NEOC also hosts the National Aeromedical Coordination Centre (NACC) which plans and manages the movement of all aeromedical missions within and from Ireland, including Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) and Priority 1 Fixed Wing Air Ambulance missions for vulnerable children requiring specialist transplant surgery.