Characteristics of ambulance care

Ambulance care is health care

Both in everyday situations and scaled-up and/or special circumstances.

Ambulance care is mobile care

The ambulance unit comes to the patient, provides care and transports the patient if necessary.

Ambulance care is acute care

On average, two-thirds of ambulance call-outs are for emergencies.

Ambulance care is pre-hospital care

The care is acute and must be provided without delay by healthcare providers who are competent to do so. Transport by ambulance appears to be essential.

Ambulance care is crucial care

Crucial care is care that must always be available. If an insurer is no longer able to fulfil its duty of care and the provision of crucial care is compromised, the public authority takes responsibility for making sure this care continues to be available. Types of crucial care in the Netherlands are ambulance care, emergency care, acute obstetrics, emergency mental health care, and care under the Long-term Care Act.

Ambulance care is chain care

Ambulance care is a fully-fledged part of the care chain, including acute care, and it collaborates constructively with its partners in the public order and safety chain.