stephane 1967
New
please help and join in the irish divers expressing their discontent with Irish hyperbaric chamber in Ireland.
you ll find below my mail to DAN europe and the standard copied reply from Dan went approached on the subject of chamber facilities.
My mail to DAN:
"Sirs,
I am a CMAS diver based in Dublin, Ireland. I have been a Dan Member (130297) for quite some time. I am the diving officer for our club (marlin sub aqua approx. 40 members) and 90 % of our diving is done in the Irish territory.
Last year, one of our club member had a DCS and the service we received both from yourselves and the national Hyperbaric centre was exemplary. Our victim was taken from first symptoms to being inside the chamber in record time and within one hour he was receiving the vital treatment. I was present throughout and I could not praise the services enough to the extend that we did an enrolment drive within the club and other affiliate clubs to make sure that all would receive similar premium treatment if another unfortunate case was to arise.
it is, therefore with great surprise and disappointment, I receive this week your new policy on hyperbaric services in Ireland. The new policy is a far cry from what was available previously and does not offer any different treatment than our current CFT/CMAS cover.
Why pay for a service twice when both suppliers offer the same minimum standard supported by a poor public system?
Medico, as you probably know, is based in Cork. 3,5 hours drive from Dublin. being conservative 75% of all diving in Ireland is based around the Dublin bay or within 50 km of it.
Question no1: - as you are probably aware, the only public facility currently available in Ireland is in cork, it is also a mobile military unit which withdraws its services regularly when the Navy or the Police force are in training or deployed. This was done last summer on no less then 3 weekends, leaving no facility cover in the country. Where do we go then? Shouldn't DAN inform all its membership of chamber withdrawal when this occurs? Do we suspend all diving activities until THE ONLY CHAMBER is released back to the paying public in order to fulfill our duty of care?
Question no 2:- Do you consider travelling by private vehicle 3,5 hours with a DCS victim the safest and best standard of practice?
Question no3: -Knowing this, is DAN complying with its duty of care to its members? Is DAN offering the quickest, nearest and least harmfull to its membership?
Question no4:- Knowing the performance of the Accident and Emergency facilities in the country and the fact that 80% of DCS cases happen up to 8 hours following a dive, Does DAN recommend that we are transported by public ambulance service to an already full Emergency department with very little knowledge of DCS treatment attached to a random hospital (tales of horror can be relayed to you on this subject if you wish to know more)? If at this stage, the DCS victim is still conscious, and after begging to be treated for several hours (average A&E waiting time currently 3 hours min.), somebody might eventually dispatch the said victim by helivac (at best) or by road (more then likely) to arrive at the Medico facilities some 6 to 10 hours later. Are you seriously offering this as best cover possible, with the knowledge that a purpose built facility is available within the hour?
Question no5: - the big one. Are Dan members diving in Ireland the victims of a political football between parties unknown to them or just victim to the number crunchers both in our public/governement office and DAN organization?
Awaiting anxiously for your reply
respectfully
Stephane
Club Diving Officer
DAN'S REPLY:
Thank you for sharing DAN's concerns on the limited hyperbaric facilities available to divers in distress in Ireland. The situation can and will no doubt improve with time but until it does so DAN will work with those facilities prepared to co-operate with DAN and work to European Committee for Hyperbaric Medicine Best Medical Practice Guidelines.
We sincerely hope that our position persuades all available Irish facilities to collaborate with DAN and to work to acknowledged best practice medical standards. This would be to the immediate benefit of all our members, to DAN and to the facility itself and we would therefore ask for your understanding and support to achieve these necessary and desirable aims.
The medical reasons why DAN works worldwide and not just in Ireland to these standards and with great success in minimising diver risk and maximising effective diver treatment are fairly clear and obvious. Less obvious is the fact that 99.5% of all diving claims handled and settled by DAN worldwide annually are managed by DAN Diving Medical Officers in partnership with a treating hyperbaric facility and then settled directly by DAN to the facility. These facilities are situated in all sorts of places and countries and welcome the training, support, guidance and assistance we provide them and our members.
We would also confirm that DAN does not oblige or require members involved in a diving medical emergency to contact DAN although 99.5% of our members logically do so and rely on our advice and assistance when in such an emergency situation. The DAN insurance package provides each and every DAN member with the right to manage any diving medical emergency situation directly without referral to DAN. This is an integral part of the DAN insurance and although members opting for this route will be subject to reduced benefit limits DAN does not otherwise restrict the coverage provided. In these situations where treatment is managed directly without DAN medical advice and support the member retains the right to claim for indemnity (reimbursement) of his treatment costs by submitting documents, medical reports and invoices for consideration by DAN's insurers but must first pay for these treatment costs.
DAN's greatest membership benefit is the real time specialist emergency service provided with the ability and preparedness to guarantee immediate payment of contractor or facility fees ensuring prompt and urgent care so critical to effective treatment and a full and fast recovery. DAN DMO's assist, advise, guarantee payment and settle directly with transportation contractors and/or the facility. This results in immediate and urgent transportation to a facility and immediate treatment.
Where such agreements are not in place or for one reason or another breakdown your emergency treatment is left to chance or to your financial means as any treatment costs must first be paid by the member before they can be submitted to DAN's insurers for reimbursement within policy terms.
The specialist advantages of contacting DAN's 24/7 Emergency Facilities are the reason why nearly all diving emergencies are notified to DAN and supported by DAN DMO's and these advantages only function when DAN collaborate with facilities working to best practice guidelines and when these facilities are prepared to work in partnership with DAN and our DMO's.
DAN's promise to its members is to provide real time support and medical advice backed up by insurance and payment on your behalf whenever you need these services as a result of a diving emergency. DAN will be posting fuller and more detailed explanations on what it is doing in Ireland to improve on the hyperbaric facilities available to all divers and you are free to check our web site to keep abreast of developments. Furthermore DAN's ongoing initiatives to ensure the emergency preparedness of hyperbaric facilities worldwide including Ireland will also be made available on our web site for public view.
We encourage you to keep the dialogue and your concerns flowing and to work with us to improve diving emergency preparedness. DAN works to national and international best practice standards with facilities worldwide and this also applies to Ireland. Facilities willing to commit and adhere to these standards and make their facilities available to DAN or to any diver Irish or otherwise requiring assistance will be supported by DAN either under our Preferred Provider Programme for hyperbaric facilities or on a case by case basis if and when a DAN member submits a documented insurance claim for re-imbursement.
Whilst we are open to provide our medical service and assistance to all Irish members on any diving emergency and maintain that this is the most effective emergency management option available to our members we can and have assisted members who prefer to manage such emergencies directly.
Best Regards,
IN OTHER WORDS, YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN MATE!!!!
IS THIS THE SERVICE YOU WOULD EXPECT FROM THE NO 1 DIVE INSURANCE WORLDWIDE????
you ll find below my mail to DAN europe and the standard copied reply from Dan went approached on the subject of chamber facilities.
My mail to DAN:
"Sirs,
I am a CMAS diver based in Dublin, Ireland. I have been a Dan Member (130297) for quite some time. I am the diving officer for our club (marlin sub aqua approx. 40 members) and 90 % of our diving is done in the Irish territory.
Last year, one of our club member had a DCS and the service we received both from yourselves and the national Hyperbaric centre was exemplary. Our victim was taken from first symptoms to being inside the chamber in record time and within one hour he was receiving the vital treatment. I was present throughout and I could not praise the services enough to the extend that we did an enrolment drive within the club and other affiliate clubs to make sure that all would receive similar premium treatment if another unfortunate case was to arise.
it is, therefore with great surprise and disappointment, I receive this week your new policy on hyperbaric services in Ireland. The new policy is a far cry from what was available previously and does not offer any different treatment than our current CFT/CMAS cover.
Why pay for a service twice when both suppliers offer the same minimum standard supported by a poor public system?
Medico, as you probably know, is based in Cork. 3,5 hours drive from Dublin. being conservative 75% of all diving in Ireland is based around the Dublin bay or within 50 km of it.
Question no1: - as you are probably aware, the only public facility currently available in Ireland is in cork, it is also a mobile military unit which withdraws its services regularly when the Navy or the Police force are in training or deployed. This was done last summer on no less then 3 weekends, leaving no facility cover in the country. Where do we go then? Shouldn't DAN inform all its membership of chamber withdrawal when this occurs? Do we suspend all diving activities until THE ONLY CHAMBER is released back to the paying public in order to fulfill our duty of care?
Question no 2:- Do you consider travelling by private vehicle 3,5 hours with a DCS victim the safest and best standard of practice?
Question no3: -Knowing this, is DAN complying with its duty of care to its members? Is DAN offering the quickest, nearest and least harmfull to its membership?
Question no4:- Knowing the performance of the Accident and Emergency facilities in the country and the fact that 80% of DCS cases happen up to 8 hours following a dive, Does DAN recommend that we are transported by public ambulance service to an already full Emergency department with very little knowledge of DCS treatment attached to a random hospital (tales of horror can be relayed to you on this subject if you wish to know more)? If at this stage, the DCS victim is still conscious, and after begging to be treated for several hours (average A&E waiting time currently 3 hours min.), somebody might eventually dispatch the said victim by helivac (at best) or by road (more then likely) to arrive at the Medico facilities some 6 to 10 hours later. Are you seriously offering this as best cover possible, with the knowledge that a purpose built facility is available within the hour?
Question no5: - the big one. Are Dan members diving in Ireland the victims of a political football between parties unknown to them or just victim to the number crunchers both in our public/governement office and DAN organization?
Awaiting anxiously for your reply
respectfully
Stephane
Club Diving Officer
DAN'S REPLY:
Thank you for sharing DAN's concerns on the limited hyperbaric facilities available to divers in distress in Ireland. The situation can and will no doubt improve with time but until it does so DAN will work with those facilities prepared to co-operate with DAN and work to European Committee for Hyperbaric Medicine Best Medical Practice Guidelines.
We sincerely hope that our position persuades all available Irish facilities to collaborate with DAN and to work to acknowledged best practice medical standards. This would be to the immediate benefit of all our members, to DAN and to the facility itself and we would therefore ask for your understanding and support to achieve these necessary and desirable aims.
The medical reasons why DAN works worldwide and not just in Ireland to these standards and with great success in minimising diver risk and maximising effective diver treatment are fairly clear and obvious. Less obvious is the fact that 99.5% of all diving claims handled and settled by DAN worldwide annually are managed by DAN Diving Medical Officers in partnership with a treating hyperbaric facility and then settled directly by DAN to the facility. These facilities are situated in all sorts of places and countries and welcome the training, support, guidance and assistance we provide them and our members.
We would also confirm that DAN does not oblige or require members involved in a diving medical emergency to contact DAN although 99.5% of our members logically do so and rely on our advice and assistance when in such an emergency situation. The DAN insurance package provides each and every DAN member with the right to manage any diving medical emergency situation directly without referral to DAN. This is an integral part of the DAN insurance and although members opting for this route will be subject to reduced benefit limits DAN does not otherwise restrict the coverage provided. In these situations where treatment is managed directly without DAN medical advice and support the member retains the right to claim for indemnity (reimbursement) of his treatment costs by submitting documents, medical reports and invoices for consideration by DAN's insurers but must first pay for these treatment costs.
DAN's greatest membership benefit is the real time specialist emergency service provided with the ability and preparedness to guarantee immediate payment of contractor or facility fees ensuring prompt and urgent care so critical to effective treatment and a full and fast recovery. DAN DMO's assist, advise, guarantee payment and settle directly with transportation contractors and/or the facility. This results in immediate and urgent transportation to a facility and immediate treatment.
Where such agreements are not in place or for one reason or another breakdown your emergency treatment is left to chance or to your financial means as any treatment costs must first be paid by the member before they can be submitted to DAN's insurers for reimbursement within policy terms.
The specialist advantages of contacting DAN's 24/7 Emergency Facilities are the reason why nearly all diving emergencies are notified to DAN and supported by DAN DMO's and these advantages only function when DAN collaborate with facilities working to best practice guidelines and when these facilities are prepared to work in partnership with DAN and our DMO's.
DAN's promise to its members is to provide real time support and medical advice backed up by insurance and payment on your behalf whenever you need these services as a result of a diving emergency. DAN will be posting fuller and more detailed explanations on what it is doing in Ireland to improve on the hyperbaric facilities available to all divers and you are free to check our web site to keep abreast of developments. Furthermore DAN's ongoing initiatives to ensure the emergency preparedness of hyperbaric facilities worldwide including Ireland will also be made available on our web site for public view.
We encourage you to keep the dialogue and your concerns flowing and to work with us to improve diving emergency preparedness. DAN works to national and international best practice standards with facilities worldwide and this also applies to Ireland. Facilities willing to commit and adhere to these standards and make their facilities available to DAN or to any diver Irish or otherwise requiring assistance will be supported by DAN either under our Preferred Provider Programme for hyperbaric facilities or on a case by case basis if and when a DAN member submits a documented insurance claim for re-imbursement.
Whilst we are open to provide our medical service and assistance to all Irish members on any diving emergency and maintain that this is the most effective emergency management option available to our members we can and have assisted members who prefer to manage such emergencies directly.
Best Regards,
IN OTHER WORDS, YOU ARE ON YOUR OWN MATE!!!!
IS THIS THE SERVICE YOU WOULD EXPECT FROM THE NO 1 DIVE INSURANCE WORLDWIDE????
