Psychiatric ambulance misses 60–80% of alarms in Uppsala county

23 de março de 2026

Reportado por IA

Uppsala county's psychiatric ambulance, operating only eight hours a day, misses 60 to 80 percent of mental health alarms due to resource shortages. Hospital board chair Neil Ormerod (V) wants to extend operating hours but lacks funding. Police report a clear difference when the service is active.

Limited resources hamper Uppsala county's psychiatric ambulance The psychiatric ambulance in Region Uppsala launched in autumn 2023 to provide acute psychiatric care across the county. According to Akademiska sjukhuset's calculations, it has responded to 1,750 alarms since then but misses 60 percent of cases classified as 'mental distress' and 80 percent of 'violence/threat/suicide threat'. The issue stems from having just one vehicle for the entire Uppsala county and operating only from 15:00 to 23:00. > We want to extend the response times, but money is lacking, says Neil Ormerod (V), chair of the hospital board. Nurse specialist Jeff Eriksson and carer Georg Elafris staff the ambulance and highlight its benefits. > We relieve the police, regular ambulances, and psychiatric emergency department, says Jeff Eriksson. > It feels fantastic when a patient thanks me for being there, says Georg Elafris. Department head Nahid Asplund cites limited resources, and Georg Elafris notes that the longest response can take an hour. Police in Uppsala county welcome the service. > There is a clear difference when they are on duty and when they are not, says Marcus Svensson, section chief at the police regional command center. > It relieves us, but most importantly makes a difference for the patients, he adds. Police train staff internally on handling mental health and advocate for extended hours. Neil Ormerod confirms the ambition but says it is too costly at present.

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