Ambulance Transport and Services in the Rural Areas of Iceland, Scotland and Sweden

Introduction The University Hospital in Akureyri (Centre for Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Education) in Iceland, Emergency & Disaster Medical Centre (AKMC) in Sweden and National Health Service - Western Isles in Scotland have undertaken a project “Ambulance Transport and Services in the Rural Areas” (ATSRuAr); the object of this paper is to provide an overview of the present status of ambulance transport and services in the three participating regions. This is a project of the INTERREG III Northern Periphery Programme (NPP) who provided a grant for the work. Methods Each partner reviewed the current status of prehospital services in their country or region and presented the results at a project meeting in Iceland in March 2006. Results & Conclusion Geography and weather provide a challenge to the ambulance transport and services in sparsely populated northern rural areas. The Emergency Medical Services (EMS) systems in these three northern rural areas have many similarities. However, there are differences in the number and distribution of ambulances, the running of the service, education and training of ambulance personnel and first responder schemes. This collaboration will debate on the provision of ambulance transport. Research is needed to indicate how improvements in ambulance transport can improve patient outcome in rural areas.