Gibraltar ambulance transfers to Spanish hospitals hit by EU rules following Brexit

Gibraltar ambulances are now only able to transfer patients for routine treatment in Spanish hospitals if they are staffed by Gibraltar Health Authority employees who live in Spain or by EU nationals. This is the result of new regulations which came into force at the start of this month, following Britain's withdrawal from the European Union, and it means that ambulance drivers and staff are being classed in the same way as the drivers of commercial vehicles from Gibraltar, who have to have a work contract in the EU in order to cross the Spanish checkpoint at the border.

The Gibraltar government has agreements with a number of private hospitals in Spain, whereby it pays for patients from Gibraltar to receive treatment which is not possible under the GHA.

The government confirmed today that an exception will be made for emergency patients in 'life or death' situations, when GHA staff resident in Gibraltar will be able to carry out the transfer, on the basis that prior warning is given and evidence of the condition of the patient is provided.

The same rules have been applied to St John's Ambulance even though this is a charity largely manned by volunteers not by employees and evidently also not a commercial operation.

In addition to patient transfers, there is also another urgent and important issue with the transfer of platelets from Spain. Gibraltar relies on Jerez who supply platelets when required in an emergency. In the past, these have been couriered to La Linea and then collected by GHA ambulance to transfer to St Bernard’s Hospital. The GHA is making alternative arrangements.

In summary, the new situation is as follows:

Routine transfers by the Gibraltar Ambulance Service to and from Spain will have to be done by GHA staff who are officially resident in Spain. In addition to this, they will need a Spanish contract of employment. This will also apply to everyone in the ambulance with the exception of the patient.

Spanish ambulances carrying out transfers to and from Spain will have no issue unless Gibraltar stops them from operating. This one of the contingencies at present while the issue is resolved.

For St. John's Ambulance to carry out routine transfers to and from Spain, this will have to be done by their staff who are resident in Spain. In addition to this, they will need a Spanish contract of employment and this will also apply to everyone in the ambulance with the exception of the patient.

Spain will ONLY allow GHA staff resident in Gibraltar to convey a patient to Spain if it is a matter of life or death, the clinician in the ambulance (Paramedic or Doctor) provides evidence on the condition of the patient, and prior warning has been given to the Spanish frontier authorities.

Given that the issue at stake is the health of citizens, and the potential for life or death situations to emerge, the government is extremely concerned at these developments and has already raised the matter at a higher level both with the United Kingdom and with Spain.