Private Ambulance for Interhospital Transfer: What to Plan
Interhospital transfer with a private ambulance requires clear clinical communication, team fit, equipment readiness, and destination coordination.
- Medical review
- Nova Ambulans Sağlık Kurulu (Medical Board)Prepared with input from the Medical Board. AI-assisted draft.
- Published
- Reading time
- 5 min
Key takeaways
- Interhospital transfer is a coordinated care transition, not only transport.
- Clinical handover quality affects safety before, during, and after transit.
- Correct crew assignment reduces in-transit risk.
- A structured pre-transfer checklist aims to support patient safety and continuity of care.
In this article (10 sections)
When a patient is transferred between hospitals, continuity of care is the central goal. The ambulance team must carry both the patient and the clinical information safely to the receiving hospital.
In İstanbul, transfer requests often involve bed availability, specialist access, or procedure planning at another hospital. Article 5 of the Ambulance Services Regulation (8 January 2025) classifies vehicles as emergency, patient transport, or Intensive Care Unit (ICU) types, with crew composition matching the chosen class 14. ACEP's interfacility transfer policy underlines that "the appropriate level of care must be maintained throughout transfer, including personnel, monitoring, and equipment". 3
Interhospital Transfers with Nova Ambulans
Nova Ambulans is a licensed private ambulance service based in İstanbul, operating 24/7 and providing ambulance services since 2010. According to our operations records (data date 23.10.2026), we have carried out more than 1,600 inter-hospital transfers since 2025 and have worked with more than 140 hospitals since March 2022. All 7 of our ambulances are Emergency Ambulances (ALS, ICU-equipped); a physician joins on request. We also transfer patients between hospitals in any two provinces of Türkiye.
How to request a transfer: call 0216 339 00 39 or message us on WhatsApp at 0549 461 34 00. Tell us the patient's current condition, the sending and receiving hospitals, and whether the receiving hospital has confirmed the bed. We confirm the crew, the timing and the price before departure.
How the price is set: it depends on factors such as distance, the patient's clinical needs (for example physician accompaniment) and waiting time. We give a quote by phone.
Why Interhospital Transfer Happens
The decision to transfer is taken for several clinical and administrative reasons:
- Advanced diagnosis and treatment: MRI, PET-CT, angiography or specialised protocols (radiotherapy, bone-marrow transplant, robotic surgery) not available at the current hospital.
- Specialist access: the relevant branch specialist, a second opinion, or planned surgery is at another centre.
- Bed and ICU capacity: the current hospital's ICU is full, or the patient needs a specific unit (neonatal, cardiac, neurological).
- Patient and family preference: treatment at a different or insurance-contracted hospital, or a return to the patient's home city.
- Referral requirement: official referral for cases exceeding a state hospital's capacity, or routing to a trauma or burn centre.
Essential Planning Components
A safe interhospital transfer includes:
- Current status summary and transfer indication
- Monitoring and medication needs during transit
- Destination acceptance confirmation
- Structured handover at arrival
For step-by-step booking, read how to arrange a planned ambulance transfer.
Depending on clinical profile, an ICU-level transfer may be required — all our emergency ambulances are ICU-equipped.
Common Risks to Prevent
Operational risk increases when documentation is incomplete, destination handover is unclear, or monitoring needs are underestimated. A checklist-based process helps prevent these gaps.
SBAR Handover Protocol
The cornerstone of a safe interhospital transfer is a structured clinical handover. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends the SBAR (Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation) protocol as the international standard. 2
| SBAR Component | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| S — Situation | Current condition and reason for transfer | "68-year-old male, acute exacerbation of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), on NIV, transferring for an ICU bed" |
| B — Background | Medical history and ongoing treatment | "Known COPD, type 2 diabetes, inpatient for 3 days, on antibiotics and bronchodilators" |
| A — Assessment | Current clinical assessment and vitals | "SpO₂ 91% (on NIV), BP 130/80, pulse 96, temp 37.2°C, conscious but tachypnoeic" |
| R — Recommendation | Care needed during transit and advice | "Continue NIV; notify physician if O₂ saturation drops below 90%; IV antibiotics planned" |
A structured handover prevents loss of critical information, lets the receiving hospital prepare, and creates a medico-legal record.
Crew and Equipment Configuration
Every Nova Ambulans vehicle is an Emergency Ambulance (ALS, ICU-equipped); a physician joins on request. The crew configuration is matched to the patient's clinical condition.
| Crew option | Team | Suitable when |
|---|---|---|
| Standard crew | Paramedic/health personnel + driver | The patient's condition does not require a physician during transit |
| Physician accompaniment (on request) | Physician + paramedic/health personnel + driver | Clinical risk, ongoing IV therapy or ventilator dependence, as decided with the sending physician |
Depending on clinical profile, an ICU-level transfer may be required.
Pre-Transfer 8-Point Checklist
Each of the following steps should be completed before a safe transfer: 3
| # | Checklist Item | Responsible |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Receiving hospital bed/department acceptance obtained | Sending physician |
| 2 | SBAR-format clinical handover prepared | Sending physician |
| 3 | All medical records (discharge note, labs, imaging) ready | Nursing |
| 4 | Sufficient stock of ongoing medications and infusions | Nursing |
| 5 | Patient ID and insurance documents prepared | Family |
| 6 | Companion details and transport coordination arranged | Family |
| 7 | Ambulance crew configuration set and team assigned | Ambulance operations |
| 8 | Estimated arrival time notified to receiving hospital | Ambulance operations |
Communication Between Teams
Best practice is direct communication between sending and receiving clinical teams before departure. The SBAR handover above is the backbone of this exchange 2; it improves treatment continuity and reduces delays on arrival.
For transfer planning — for example, a ventilator-dependent patient moving from a Kadıköy ICU to a Bahçelievler cardiovascular surgery service, where bridge timing, vital baselines, and the SBAR sheet must be ready before the doors close — call Nova Ambulans at 0216 339 00 39.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is interhospital transfer more complex than routine transport?
Because both transport safety and clinical continuity must be protected simultaneously.
Can stable patients still need ambulance transfer?
Yes. Stability does not remove the need for monitored transport and safe handover in many scenarios.
Should families coordinate the transfer alone?
Families can support logistics, but clinical coordination should remain between healthcare and ambulance teams.
How long does a transfer take?
Within İstanbul, the duration depends on distance and traffic; when you call, we tell you the estimated time. Intercity transfer time depends mainly on road distance. For example, İstanbul–Antalya takes about 7-8.5 hours by road 7. Note that 112 emergency response times in İstanbul vary with location and traffic, and they are not the same as the start time of a planned interhospital transfer 6. Waiting and discharge steps add to the total.
Does insurance cover interhospital transfer?
Emergency transport carried out by 112 is free of charge. When a physician documents medical necessity and a proper referral/report is issued, the Social Security Institution (SGK) can partially reimburse a private-ambulance interhospital transfer up to the minimum tariff in the Healthcare Implementation Communiqué (SUT); any amount above that tariff and transfers planned at the patient's request (without referral) are paid by the patient/family or private health insurance 8. Private health insurance coverage depends on the policy terms. See does Turkish social security cover a private ambulance.
Sources
Numbers in the text refer to the sources below.
- Ambulance Services Regulation (Official Gazette 8/1/2025-32776) (opens in a new tab)T.C. Ministry of Health
- WHO Patient Safety — SBAR Communication Tool (opens in a new tab)World Health Organization
- Appropriate Interfacility Patient Transfer (opens in a new tab)American College of Emergency Physicians
- Mevzuat Information System — Ambulance Regulation (opens in a new tab)Turkish Legislation Database
- WHO — Road Traffic Injuries Fact Sheet (opens in a new tab)World Health Organization
- Circular on Patient Transport and Referral Principles (2010/46) (opens in a new tab)T.C. Ministry of Health
Nova Ambulans Sağlık Kurulu (Medical Board)
Periodically reviewed by our editorial board of emergency physicians, paramedics and clinical coordinators.
This content is informational only and does not replace professional medical evaluation. In emergencies, call 112 or +90 216 339 00 39.
