Frequently asked questions

The Red Cross Alphen and the Ambulance Wish Foundation have ambulances that can be used for ‘social transportation,’ for example, for transporting a bedridden patient to a special family occasion or to visit an event. Volunteers are ready to help. This means that regular ambulances don’t need to be taken away from emergency services. You can submit a request for ambulance transportation to the organizations: the Red Cross Alphen can be reached at: 0172-232 892 and The Ambulance Wish Foundation can be contacted at www.ambulancewens.nl.

This depends on the level of healthcare demand, the urgency of the situation, and the distance to the hospitals concerned. The hospital will usually be within Hollands Midden’s area of operations. If the patient has received treatment at a hospital outside our operating area, and the ambulance crew are aware of this, then the patient may be taken to the relevant hospital. You may indicate your preference for a hospital but, unfortunately, your preference may not be able to be accommodated in all cases. The nurse-paramedic will decide which hospital the patient will be taken to on the basis of the specialized care you require, the circumstances at the hospital, and the availability of ambulances.

If you have been transported by Hollands Midden Regional Ambulance Services then you or your legal representative can make a request in writing to receive a copy of your medical records. To request the form for another person, you must send a written and signed statement from the patient stating that you are authorised to request their records.

Hollands Midden Regional Ambulance Service has information packets available (in Dutch only) for the upper and lower levels of primary school. These can be requested on info@ravhm.nl.

You can also ask if a team member can bring an ambulance to your school. We cannot guarantee that a school visit will go ahead. It may be that the ambulance is still required or no staff are available. Employees make school visits on a voluntary basis. Are you interested? Please call 070 – 573 0000 for more information or send an e-mail to info@ravhm.nl.

You can also visit our ambulance museum on Vondellaan in Leiden with a group. Make an appointment at www.ambulancemuseum.nl.

The emergency medical dispatch centre (MKA), determines the status of the patient based on questioning the caller. The emergency medical dispatcher uses a set protocol of questions. Each status category is in accordance with a nationwide, uniformly determined ranking of urgency.

The three different levels of urgency are:

A1

Potentially life-threatening situations where there is a high risk of serious subsequent damage and/or permanent disability.

A1 urgency is granted if at least one of these criteria apply:

• The patient’s state is life-threatening, ABC * unstable.
• There is a serious possibility of a life-threatening condition, ABC * unstable.
• It is necessary to prevent the patient from entering into a life-threatening condition, ABC * unstable.
• In order to prevent permanent disability or serious damage to health.

* ABC: (A) Airway, (B), Breathing, (C) Circulation

A2

If there is a high probability of subsequent damage and/or hospital treatment is necessary without there being a life-threatening situation.

B

For transfers, transport for medical examinations or outpatient treatments (radiation therapy). These are generally planned journeys that do not meet the urgency criteria above.

It may be that when the ambulance crew reaches the patient they assess the situation differently than could be determined on the basis of the report. The nurse-paramedic, in consultation with the dispatch centre, can then adjust the level of urgency.

The emergency dispatch centre cannot automatically see where you’re calling from.

The centre can determine your position using VIL (Emergency Location Identifier) if you call using a smartphone.

If you are calling from a landline, you will usually immediately be transferred to an emergency medical dispatcher in the region in which you are calling from. If you call on a mobile phone, the police emergency dispatch centre in Driebergen will receive your call. The emergency dispatcher will immediately ask for your location and which emergency service you require (police, fire or ambulance). You will then be quickly transferred to the correct emergency dispatch centre. In all cases (even if caller ID is blocked), your telephone number is visible to the dispatcher. Your location is not automatically visible if you call using your mobile phone.

Standard times:

• A1 urgency (potentially life-threatening situation or a high risk of permanent injury) within 15 minutes after receiving the alert. The 15-minute standard is laid down by law and applies to the average performance for A1 emergencies throughout the region covered by the ambulance service over a one-year period. In 95% of A1 journeys, the ambulance must reach the patient within 15 minutes. This is a planning standard to determine how many ambulances are needed in a region. There is no scientific, care-related basis for this standard.
• A2 urgency (risk of permanent injury/subsequent damage, timely treatment is required but there is no indication of a life-threatening situation) within 30 minutes after receiving the alert.
• B urgency (planned transportation): within one hour of the appointed time. A1 and A2 emergencies are prioritized ahead of B urgency calls which can result in some delay. Hollands Midden Regional Ambulance Service uses a number of care ambulances exclusively for B-transportation.

An ambulance is equipped with optical (flashing light) and acoustic (siren) signalling. Their use is determined by law and may only be used in the interests of the health of the patient.

• A1 urgency: Always with flashing lights and siren.
• A2 urgency: It is not standard to use the flashing lights and siren. After making a diagnosis, the paramedic may decide to do so
• B urgency: no flashing lights and siren.

Have you lost something during a journey in an ambulance? Please call 070 573 0000 or e-mail info@ravhm.nl. Please describe the lost item as clearly as possible, and we will make further enquiries on your behalf.