How to contact ambulance service?
 

Some time ago I enquired as to what number to call for an ambulance and was told that I am an imbecile not to have noticed the 112 sign on all the ambulances.
A few hours ago I was fortunate to be able to test it. My wife and I took a long walk into town and she tripped over the uneven side walk. It looked like her elbow was dislocated and she could not get up.

I dialled 112 and the ambulance arrived and treated her but said they could only transport her to the government hospital and not to the private hospital that was the same distance away. They only work for the government hospital.

They were kind enough to call the taxi service for us and helped her in.
Just thought I will post this for those who think 112 will transport you to a private hospital.

I still have no idea yet as to private ambulance service but I will find out and post here.

Re: How to contact ambulance service?
 

What was wrong with going to the public hospital ?

Re: How to contact ambulance service?
 

As always. You never get it. Think before you post. I pay for private medical insurance so why must I go to a public hospital when I can get better service at Hospital Particular?

Re: How to contact ambulance service?
 

But why would you expect the public ambulance service to take you to a private hospital..
Its not a taxi service for those with private health insurance.

Re: How to contact ambulance service?
 

Are you for real? Read my original post again and see the gist of my post.
I said that I was told to phone 112. Get it now?
You keep tramping in your own shite.

Re: How to contact ambulance service?
 

112 is the public funded ambulance service for emergency health treatment at the nearest public hosoital.
Why would you even ask them to take you to your preferred hospital.
You could always of got a taxi from there to your " superior " hospital if you were unhappy with the proposed treatment.

Re: How to contact ambulance service?
 

You have totally lost the plot. I pay for private medical and as it is way superior to the underfunded public hospitals and I want to get what I pay for. Do you not get that?

The 112 number is wrong for this as I stated but for some reason you refuse to read my first post.

I do not have UK health care that I can use here so I rely on my private medical.

Re: How to contact ambulance service?
 

What you really need to do, instead of getting into a public pi**ing contest with EMR, is to ask your private health cover people what number you should call to get an ambulance to take you to the correct hospital, howevver I very much doubt that, had you or yur wife collapsed with a heart attack you would have been very greatful for someone calling 112 and you getting transported to the nearest public hospital where they would have ried their best to save your life.

Re: How to contact ambulance service?
 

I would prefer to to be taken to a private hospital in the case of a cardiac event and you cannot deny that.
Why am I paying for private medical insurance if I cannot get transport to it?
This was my question in the first place.

Re: How to contact ambulance service?
 

What you were saying then..in fact...was that you were given the incorrect information in the first place Ukkram...Seems like a 'no brainer' to me to have asked your preferred private hospital for their ambulance transport no.'for future reference' I have used both public and private hospitals and found very little difference. Like Mike says if it's an emergency most people would be grateful for any help..

Re: How to contact ambulance service?
 

112 is a free telephone number to contact the emergency services in the majority of European and some other countries.

It is not a dedicated ambulance number.

Re: How to contact ambulance service?
 

I'm completely with Ukkram; you pretty much have to use 112 in an emergency. The public service has ambulances everywhere, and the best chance of a quick response.

They should take you to where you will get the treatment best for you. That they will refuse to do so is news to me, so thanks for the information, Ukkram.

The public hospitals are famously underfunded and overburdened. if your luck is good and they are able to help you, of course they will.

We also have private insurance, and would rather go to hospital particular in almost every case.

Re: How to contact ambulance service?
 

As a p.s Ukk I asked OH this morning about this (he being connected with the AFPOP organisation) and indeed whilst there is a lot of info in their guide book about medical services there isn't an emergency no for the individual hospitals!! only their normal contact no ,which I guess we have to assume will send out an ambulance? He is going to make that a priority on monday to check out if that is indeed the case...

Re: How to contact ambulance service?
 

In this context it is the number for ambulances in an emergency.
In an emergency the last thing that would matter is what hospital you are being raken to.

Re: How to contact ambulance service?
 

I can't believe you said that!

Re: How to contact ambulance service?
 

So, OK you have a heart attack somewhere in a small village miles from the nearest private hospital, which is your preference, being taken to your private hospital some 100km away, or to the nearest hospital 5km away, first case scenario, you get to the right hospital, according to what you want, but arrive dead, second case you get there in 10 mins, and survive. The choice is certainly yours.. but why?..

In many countries the public ambulance may well be under orders to take you to the nearest hospital offering the service. In Spain they had the opposite problem, people, particularly visitors, were being taken to the hospital that offered the biggest kickbacks to the ambulance personnel, so people got taken to private hospitals instead of the public ones, and then had to pay.

Incidentally if you dial 112 in the UK you will get through to the emergency services, and the same, I believe, for 911.

Re: How to contact ambulance service?
 

There are some things that are only covered by the state health service.

Does private health insurance cover serious accident/emergency treatment? Is there even an emergency department at the private hospital in Viana, Ukkram?

Re: How to contact ambulance service?
 

If I am being cut out of a car, or in the middle of a heart attack I just want the quickest response the fact I have private health insurance would probably be the last thing in my mind.
I have never heard of the Uk ambulance service diverting to the local bupa hospital becsuse the patient they are carrying does not want to go to the local NHS. A& E
How many private hospitals have an A& E depatment.

Re: How to contact ambulance service?
 

If we are talking about a life-threatening emergency then the decision will be made for you but I think it would matter a great deal that they take you to the hospital best able to deal with your needs.

In a non-life-threatening emergency but using the emergency services (which is very common) then I think you would care a lot where you are taken.

Re: How to contact ambulance service?
 

The other option is for the ambulance service to charge you if you want taking to your private
Health provider.
Is that the road you want to go down .
Credit cards at the ready everyvtime you call 112.

Re: How to contact ambulance service?
 

bloody hell i seem to agree with EMR :ohmy:

Re: How to contact ambulance service?
 

A BE first :lol:

Re: How to contact ambulance service?
 

In any context 112 is the number for an emergency.
Be it Police, Fire, Ambulance, Coastguard or any other emergency.

Once through to an operator then you can be more specific.Also again generally you can ask for someone who speaks a language you are happy that you can convey the nature of the emergency to in detail without confusion or misunderstanding.

Re: How to contact ambulance service?
 

Ukkram. Hi Which Insurance Company do you have your policy with please.

Re: How to contact ambulance service?
 

Thanks GeniB. Please post back.

I grew up in a country where the government ambulance would prefer to transport patients to private hospitals due to the over crowded gov hospitals and there are private ambulances with advanced life support paramedics that also transport patients to any hospital. I assumed it was the same here.


The only private hospital in a 90 km radius is here in Viana and I live directly opposite it. They are well equipped and staffed by specialists in most fields including plastic surgery, cardiology and dentistry.
I see 112 ambulances at this hospital almost daily but mostly from neighbouring towns.

The only public hospital in the northern region is also here in Viana and is a 4 minute drive from my home.
We were between the 2 when the incident took place.

The ambulance driver expressed his concern that my wife does not have National health card and it would be a problem at the public hospital.

Re: How to contact ambulance service?
 

Allianz via AFPOP.

Re: How to contact ambulance service?
 

As per usual 100% wrong
ALL Insurance Companies have a Client Repayment System for cost accrued in transporting the insured person to any Hospital .
The first trip , the Client is reimbursed directly, after they settle the invoice sent by the Ambulance provider, & the paid invoice is sent on to the insurance company, for subsequent trips , the Client is issued with a "declaration" by the hospital stating they attended the Hospital - date - time arrived - time left - reason for attending.
This declaration is given to the Taxi - Ambulance who transport the client to the hospital & the insurance company reimburses them directly.

I volunteer for our local Ambulance Service & this is how the system works.
We transport clients to Public & Private Hospitals !

But then again EMR knows everything ,so I'm sure "it" will try to pick holes in the facts.

Re: How to contact ambulance service?
 

:goodpost: and I'm sure this is 100% correct.

Re: How to contact ambulance service?
 

This may differ between regions as I had first hand experience that this is not the case here.

Re: How to contact ambulance service?
 

Once again you assume that the average ambulance driver is as expert in all things Portuguese as you are.
Just read Ukrams post..
Maybe you should provide your mobile no to every expat in Portugal so that they can call you so that you can explain to the person on the end of the phone that they are wrong because " ingles " says so.
There would not be enough hours in the day.

Re: How to contact ambulance service?
 

So there is the system and there are the people who ignore it?

Re: How to contact ambulance service?
 

No , Its Portugal, not the UK or SA but Portugal..

Re: How to contact ambulance service?
 

The Portimao barlevento hospital serves the entire western Algarve, and is 60 km from my place.
On the other hand, Private hospital in Lagos 'only' 50km.

INEM used to send a chopper, but these days life is too cheap and helicopters too expensive.

Re: How to contact ambulance service?
 

Ok Ukk This is the information as AFPOP understands it and as told to us by the Medal Insurance Group

Calling a 112 no will get you a public ambulance which will take you to a public hospital..They do not transport patients to Private hospitals

***.(If they do ..as a poster has mentioned he does.Then that appears to be a private/local arrangement particular to that area ) ***

To arrange for a ambulance for a private hospital you need that hospitals contact no

We have several different hospitals in the Lagos area. The public Barlevento hospital as mentioned by Live..The Private Sao Goncalo in Lagos.Plus a small public hospital in the centre of Lagos.
We use the Hospital Particulier in Alvor. for which we have patient cards.We have also used the Goncalo on a couple of occasions..so ditto..

For your chosen private hospital you ring the contact no on your patient card and they will send an ambulance
Should we therefore have an emergency at home we would probable use the Sao Goncalo as it's less than 15 mins away. Anything that can wait awhile we would much prefer the bigger Alvor. which is 35 mins+ away
Conclusion.!! Make sure you have your medical cards with you and the contact no's Hope this helped:cool:

Re: How to contact ambulance service?
 

Thank you so much GeniB. I will nip across the road and get this info from them. I know that they do not have an ambulance on their premisses though.

Re: How to contact ambulance service?
 

Ukkram. I think I have a answer to you conundrum
I was on duty yesterday & had a chance to chat with a staff member at the Sanfil Hospital in Leiria
If you ever need a Emergency Ambulance again , it's odds on when you phone the Private Hospital on the telephone supplied by them, they will do one off two things.
Try to obtain a Private Ambulance to cover the call ,if one is not available in the time span required for a emergency call out, they will then contact the Local Ambulance service & instruct them to cover the call out.
Both ways the Insurance Cº covers all cost.
It's all to do with "protocol"

Re: How to contact ambulance service?
 

Thanks Ingles. I will confirm that with the private hospital asap. I am stuck at home for now with a pulled back muscle with trying to pick my wife up off the pavement.

Re: How to contact ambulance service?
 

Oh bugger !
Hope you both feel better soon

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I am not worried about myself but my wife's arm has swelled up to twice it's size and turned dark red and keeps oozing. We will have to both wobble across the road tomorrow for treatment.

Re: How to contact ambulance service?
 

Yikes Ukkram I think I would have 'wobbled over' this evening If I had been your wife.That sounds very nasty..Hope she gets it sorted quickly :unsure: