CRITICAL, Ireland’s leading emergency medical charity, has appointed Dr Mark Ruddy as its new medical director. The Wicklow-based GP has been volunteering with the organisation since 2023.
The charity has also received accreditation from the independent body that regulates the emergency medical service profession in Ireland. CRITICAL is now recognised by the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council (PHECC), which has responsibility for standards, education and training in the field of pre-hospital emergency care.
CRITICAL has a network of more than 300 volunteer responders active in 21 counties across Ireland including doctors and consultants equipped with emergency response vehicles and high-tech equipment; 11 community first responder (CFR) groups; as well off-duty paramedics and emergency medical technicians (EMTs).
The volunteers are tasked by the National Ambulance Service and Dublin Fire Brigade to life-threatening emergencies in their local communities. They have responded to over 1,300 calls since the start of this year.
Dr Ruddy has a strong background in pre-hospital emergency medicine. He works as a GP in Arklow and covers a number of shifts each month with Lincs and Notts Air Ambulance in Lincoln. Dr Ruddy qualified as a doctor in 2010 before working in Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and the UK.
David Tighe, CEO of CRITICAL said, “Mark Ruddy has been an integral part of the CRITICAL team since he started volunteering with us in April 2023 and we are delighted that he now joins us as medical director. He brings with him a wealth of experience. The PHECC accreditation was part of our strategic plan for 2025 and is significant recognition for the work we are doing in communities across Ireland. It enables us to become more sustainable and more independent as an organisation.”
Dr Mark Ruddy added, “CRITICAL charity provides a vital service in rural areas but also in our towns and cities. We supplement the statutory services and doctors like me can bring extended skills that, although not often required, can make a real difference when they’re needed. The PHECC accreditation backs what we’ve already been doing. We hold ourselves to very high standards and have good governance but it’s important to receive that external validation.”
