Volunteer Medical Responders

Across the country, our network of Volunteer Emergency Medical Responders are tasked by the National Ambulance service to provide pre-hospital emergency care in the areas where they live or work. Strategically positioned within their local area, allowing them to quickly attend emergency calls and provide essential care during the crucial early minutes before the arrival of the ambulance crew.

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Dr. Gerry Lane

Gerry is a retired Emergency Medicine Consultant with nearly 40 years of experience in emergency care. He has worked and trained in Scotland, Iraq, the UAE, and across the UK and Northern Ireland. A former Senior Lecturer at NUIG and the Donegal Medical Academy, Gerry also lectured at RCSI. In 2001, he was appointed as the Foundation Consultant in Emergency Medicine for Donegal.

Based in Donegal, Gerry now responds as a volunteer with CRITICAL to life-threatening emergencies across County Donegal.

4 April 2022; Andy Patton of the Irish Community Air Ambulance at the Irish Air Ambulance and Leinster Rugby Charity Partnership announcement at Leinster HQ in Dublin. Photo by Harry Murphy/Sportsfile *** NO REPRODUCTION FEE ***

Dr. Andy Patton

Andy is a Specialist Registrar in Emergency Medicine with a strong interest in prehospital care and medical education. A UCD graduate, he is currently training to become a Consultant in Emergency Medicine. Based in Dublin, Andy volunteers with CRITICAL, responding to emergencies across the Dublin area in collaboration with the National Ambulance Service and Dublin Fire Brigade.

Dr. Daragh Mathews

Dr. Daragh Mathews

Daragh is a Specialist Registrar in Emergency Medicine with a focus on prehospital critical care.

He graduated from UCC in 2017 and is currently training to become a Consultant in Emergency Medicine. Based in Cork City, Daragh volunteers with CRITICAL, responding to life-threatening emergencies across the city and surrounding areas.

Photograph: Patrick Browne

Dr. Mark Ruddy

Mark is a GP based in South Wicklow with a background in prehospital critical care across Ireland, the UK, Australia, and New Zealand.

Living in County Wicklow with his family, Mark responds as a volunteer with CRITICAL to emergencies throughout South Wicklow.

Dr. Lisa Cunningham - Mayo

Dr. Lisa Cunningham

Lisa is a Consultant in Emergency Medicine and Prehospital Physician. She works at Mayo University Hospital and with the LNAA HEMS service in the UK.

Lisa has a long-standing passion for prehospital care, shaped by years of volunteering with the Order of Malta Ambulance Corps. She has responded with CRITICAL to emergencies across County Mayo, combining her love for emergency medicine and GAA as part of the Mayo Senior Ladies and Men’s medical teams. Lisa now serves as a trustee and medical advisor to the charity, where she provides expert guidance and support.

Dr. Jason Horan - Mayo

Dr. Jason Horan

Jason is a Consultant in Emergency Medicine at Mayo University Hospital, having trained in Ireland and qualified in 2013.

Since 2015, Jason has volunteered with CRITICAL, responding to life-threatening emergencies across County Mayo. He is also a medical educator with the National Ambulance Service and UCD, and serves as medical director for Wilderness EMS training. Jason now serves as a medical advisor to the charity, where he provides expert guidance and support.

Dr Thomas Barry CRITICAL

Dr. Tomás Barry

Dr. Tomás Barry is a GP and Associate Professor at University College Dublin. He has served as course director for the National Advanced Paramedic Training Programme and is vice chair of the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council’s Medical Advisory Committee. 
 
Based in Dublin, Tomás has been a volunteer doctor with CRITICAL since 2017, responding to emergencies across the Greater Dublin Area.
 
Dr. Jack Collins, Donegal

Dr. Jack Collins

Dr. Jack Collins is a Consultant Anaesthesiologist with specialist training in advanced airway management and simulation. He lives in Donegal with his family and has a strong interest in prehospital care, developed through early involvement with the Order of Malta Ambulance Corps. 

Jack volunteers with CRITICAL, responding to emergencies across County Donegal. He is also an examiner with the Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council.

Dr. Paul Campbell of Dunmore East, Co. Waterford.

Dr. Paul Campbell

Paul is a GP and occupational health physician based in Waterford. Originally from County Tyrone, he graduated from Queen’s University Belfast in 2004. 
 
Now living in Dunmore East, Paul responds as a volunteer with CRITICAL to emergencies across County Waterford. He also founded a local community responder group in 2013 and completed a Master’s in Prehospital Emergency Medicine in 2023.
 
Dr.Niall Conroy - Tallaght

Dr. Niall Conroy

Niall is a Consultant in Public Health Medicine and Adjunct Professor at University College Cork, specialising in infectious disease outbreaks. Niall has worked in emergency and crisis settings across Ireland, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Sierra Leone, Somalia, and Nepal. He previously led UCD’s Advanced Paramedic and Military Medicine training courses.
 
Niall joined CRITICAL in 2023 and now responds to emergencies in County Meath.
 
Dr Keith CRITICAL

Dr. Keith

Dr. Keith is an emergency medicine doctor with over 20 years of experience in prehospital care. A former paramedic, he has worked and trained in emergency medicine and anaesthesia roles across Ireland and the UK. He holds a BSc in Occupational Therapy, an MSc in Immediate Care and diplomas in Emergency Medical Technology, paediatrics, and healthcare innovation. 

Based in Deansgrange, Dublin, Keith will respond as a volunteer with CRITICAL to incidents across South County Dublin. Keith is also the founder of CRITICAL CFR Deansgrange, a local Community First Responder group attending incidents such as cardiac arrests, choking, chest pain and strokes.

Edward Walsh, Head of Operations

Edward Walsh

Edward qualified as a National Emergency Medical Technician in 2012. He began his career in the private ambulance sector, where he specialised in organ transplant transport and the carriage of patients across Ireland and internationally.

In 2016, Edward joined the National Ambulance Service as an Emergency Medical Technician, working in both patient transfer and frontline emergency response. Three years later, he moved to the newly established Iris Community Air Ambulance, serving aboard Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) Helimed 92. Over four years, he responded to life-threatening emergencies across the country. In 2023, Edward became CRITICAL’s Operations Manager. He continues to maintain his frontline status, attending a wide range of emergency medical and trauma calls while overseeing operations and standards within the organisation.