- The contract covers a period of four years and has a value of 27 million Euros.
- Ferrovial Services will implement improvements in ambulance equipment, response times and staff training.
- The company is responsible for emergency medical transport services within the Madrid Community and several health accident and emergency 112 and 061 coordination centres.
The Health Department of La Rioja (Spain) has awarded Ferrovial Services the contract for provision of both general and emergency medical ground transport services within the Community, for a period of four years.
The new contract, which is due to start on April 1, will be delivered with a fleet of 67 vehicles. As a novelty, the 061-112 Emergency Service in La Rioja will have the exclusive use of 18 vehicles (5 Advanced Life Support ambulances, 8 Basic Life Support ambulances and 5 ordinary patient transport vehicles). Moreover, the basic life support ambulances will be on standby 24 hours a day in Logroño and other provincial capitals, thereby improving response times in emergency situations.
Ferrovial Services will make improvements in the new vehicles in relation to patient safety and comfort, including paediatric traction ferrules for advanced life support ambulances, and a ventilator for neonatal ventilation in basic life support ambulances. Patient transport ambulances will be fitted with 8 caterpillar stair chairs, to enable staff to negotiate stairs more easily.
The company will put in place a management system aimed at improving route and programming efficiency, and a service quality monitoring system, in addition to working towards its commitment to reduce response times. Another essential feature will be staff training, especially for the care of deaf-mute patients.
This contract follows the one signed recently in the Madrid Community for the provision of emergency patient transport in the region. Ferrovial also manages the 112 accident and emergency coordination centres in Aragón, Cataluña and Castilla-La Mancha.
