What is an ambulance?

6-minute read

What is an ambulance?

An ambulance is a vehicle equipped to provide emergency care to sick or injured people and to get them to hospital. Ambulances can also be used to transport patients between hospitals.

There are several types of ambulance, all specially equipped and including:

vans (the most common type of ambulance)
four-wheel drives
motorbikes
buses
airplanes
helicopters

Air ambulances and helicopter ambulances are used mainly in rural, remote or wilderness areas and in certain types of emergency situation.

Ambulances can be based at hospitals, clinics, stand-alone centres or airports.

What is in an ambulance?

Ambulances contain the equipment needed to stabilise someone who is ill or injured and to get them to hospital. That includes stretchers, defibrillators, spine boards, oxygen and oxygen masks, cervical (neck) collars, splints, bandages and a range of drugs and intravenous fluids.

Some ambulances are equipped to allow doctors to give anaesthetics and perform emergency surgery.

Ambulances are staffed by a trained crew. They might be known as first responders, ambulance officers, patient transport officers or referred to by using another name. Some — but not all — ambulance officers are paramedics.

What do paramedics do?

A paramedic is a trained health professional who can provide rapid emergency medical assessment and care to people who need it. They manage people who are experiencing:

Some paramedics have a diploma in paramedical sciences, which they have obtained through vocational training. Ambulance services are moving towards requiring a university degree in paramedic science or health science. Intensive care paramedics have additional postgraduate qualifications.

Qualified paramedics are registered with the Paramedicine Board of Australia and their names are included on a public register of practitioners, managed by the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Authority (AHPRA). Find out more here about the training of paramedics and other staff.

When should I call for an ambulance?

You should call triple zero (000) and ask for an ambulance when there is an emergency, such as when someone:

is experiencing a suspected heart attack, or has unexplained chest pain or chest tightness
suddenly has weakness, numbness or paralysis of the face, arm or leg
is having breathing difficulties
is unconscious
has a seizure
falls from a great height
has been stabbed or shot
has a severe burn (especially in children)
has sudden and severe abdominal pain
has been injured in a major vehicle accident
has collapsed suddenly or lost consciousness
suddenly collapses or falls
is experiencing heavy or uncontrollable bleeding
has one or more broken bone

What should I do if it is not an emergency?

If you or someone else has a common health problem, such as an infection or illness, consider these options rather than calling an ambulance:

visiting a general practitioner
seeing a pharmacist
calling Healthdirect on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria) for advice from a registered nurse

What happens when I call an ambulance?

The person who answers your triple zero (000) call will ask you questions to decide whether it is an emergency.

If they consider it is an emergency, they will send an ambulance. They might also give first aid advice on what to do until the ambulance arrives. If so, it is important that you follow the advice.

If they consider it is not an emergency, they might transfer you to a healthdirect registered nurse. They will be able to provide you phone assistance.

Will I always be taken to a hospital?

When the ambulance arrives, the ambulance officers or paramedics who attend will assess you. You might be treated on site or they might decide you need to be taken to hospital. Alternatively, you might be referred to other healthcare services.

What is the cost of an ambulance?

The charges, if you call an ambulance or if someone else orders an ambulance for you, vary between states. State ambulance services may charge a call-out fee or a per kilometre fee or both. The costs can be very high in some states.

To find out more about the fees in your state, visit:

Ambulance costs may be reduced or removed for aged pensioner concession holders, health care concession card holders and Department of Veterans Affairs Gold Card holders in some states.

Medicare does not cover ambulance fees. Get more details here about what ambulance services each state covers.

Are there other medical and non-emergency transport schemes?

Non-emergency patient transport schemes also vary between states. Transport to or between hospitals under these schemes may need to be authorised by a doctor, registered nurse or a hospital official.

Find out more here about other transport services and patient travel subsidy schemes, and check with your local health department.