European Charter of Patients’ Rights in Prehospital Emergency Medical Services

In an emergency, nobody gets to choose who comes to help. Patients, and the people calling on their behalf, have to rely entirely on the competence, speed and integrity of the emergency medical service. That’s why EUFEA is working on a European Charter that sets out what every person in Europe should be able to expect, from the emergency call to the handover at the hospital.

The Charter’s core idea: everyone has the right to timely, safe, appropriate and empathic emergency care, no matter where they live, what their social or financial situation is, or whether they have a disability.

It sets out five fundamental rights:

• Access: one common emergency number, reachable by everyone, with services available in rural and remote areas too.
• A timely response: the nearest suitable resource is sent regardless of regional or organisational boundaries, and response times are publicly reported.
• Safe, high-quality care: evidence-based treatment by well-trained professionals, with paramedic education reaching EQF level 6.
• Dignity and information: respectful, empathic care, involvement in decisions, and protection of personal data.
• Transparency and equity: the same standard of care in towns and the countryside, with public participation in how services develop.

The Charter also describes how the public can support a safe response, for example through first aid training and clear information when calling. It makes equally clear that these expectations must never be a reason to deny or delay help.