Largest ambulance dispatch centre stops taking 112 calls overnight

The ambulance dispatch centre Oost-Nederland in Apeldoorn, the largest in the country, stopped taking 112 calls on the night of 30 September to 1 October because it lacked staff. The Noord-Nederland dispatch centre took over all 112 calls that night.

The centre is staffed by the ambulance, police and fire services of five safety regions: Gelderland-Zuid, Gelderland-Midden, Noordoost-Gelderland, IJsselland and Twente. Gaps have appeared in its roster for months, mainly because of staff shortages at Gelderland-Midden and Gelderland-Zuid. Staff from the Noord-Nederland centre have to step in.

"This is a matter of life or death. 112 must always be reachable," said Patiëntenfederatie Nederland, the patients' federation. "Anyone who rings 112 and needs care straight away must be able to get it in time."

The cooperating ambulance regions say the centre never goes fully dark: staff still have contact with ambulances and take calls from emergency workers. "On the basis of the data available, we have no indication that patient safety is at risk," they said. They acknowledge that staffing is under pressure from rising demand, too few nurses, staff leaving and high sickness absence.

The regions are training more people, but new trainees can be fully deployed only after nine months. The health ministry (VWS) has been informed. "The ministry will stay in contact to see what is needed or what can be done better nationally," it said.

A law change is being prepared to make cooperation between ambulance regions easier. It would place employment of ambulance staff with one regional ambulance provider, which the ministry says can lead to better staffing policy. It still has to pass the Tweede Kamer and the Senate (Eerste Kamer). The ambulance regions declined to say whether waiting times rise when the centre is understaffed.