Northeim district: Emergency doctor locations in danger – reinvent emergency services!

Northeim district: Emergency doctor locations in danger – reinvent emergency services!

Changes to the emergency services are imminent in the Northeim district: The district council is planning to increasingly implement ambulance operations without emergency doctor accompaniment. Sören Heitmann, the medical director of the rescue service, gives positive feedback on the new rules of operation that have already been introduced, under which emergency paramedics are allowed to act independently. This change goes hand in hand with the belief that the speed of help is often more important than the presence of an emergency doctor. This is also supported by Wolfgang Boldt, chairman of the Northeim Medical Association, who is open to the concept that stable heart attack patients can be transported without a doctor. [HNA.de reports that](https://www.hna.de/lokales/northeim/landkreis-northeim- Preparet-sich-auf-LOS-von-notarztstätten-vor-immer-mehr-einsaetze-nur-mit-notfallsanitaetern-93821795.html) the changeover is viewed as a routine measure.

The district currently has four emergency doctor locations in Northeim, Einbeck, Uslar/Bollensen and Bad Gandersheim. In view of increasing requirements and financial pressure from health insurance companies, there are plans to reduce these locations soon. A comprehensive concept for the further development of the rescue service is to be developed by mid-2026, in which teleemergency medicine will be a crucial component. The technology for this exists, but is rarely used due to technical difficulties and mobile communications problems. The aim is to restart the teleemergency system in order to maximize its benefits.

The role of emergency paramedics

The introduction of emergency paramedics, which came about through a change in the law in 2014 and has been in use since 2017, represents an important step. These specialists are specially trained to save lives and are allowed to carry out many measures independently. The BAND Memorandum calls for the strengthening of this professional group through further training and clear emergency medical qualifications in order to further improve medical care in emergencies.

In addition, the importance of air rescue and teleemergency medicine is highlighted. The use of emergency doctors remains necessary in life-threatening situations and serious consequential damage, especially when rescue specialists have reached their limits. Therefore, basic emergency medical training needs to be adapted to ensure that emergency doctors have the necessary expertise in critical situations.

Developments in emergency services

According to a nationwide analysis commissioned by the Federal Highway Research Institute, there was a 7 percent decline in operations in 2020 and 2021. The emergency medical rate fell by 25 percent, with emergency doctors being alerted to around 2.2 million calls. This analysis shows how the speed and quality of operation of the rescue service is developing. Although response times remain respectable on average, it is crucial to address the challenges posed by the decline in emergency medical calls. BASt.de notes that the results have remained largely stable despite the difficulties caused by the corona pandemic.

The future development of the rescue service must therefore redefine and strengthen both the training of emergency paramedics and the role of emergency doctors. This is the only way to ensure the best possible care in acute emergencies and to continue to meet the deadlines for help.