Dutch emergency services to get fifth trauma helicopter to improve response times

A majority in the Tweede Kamer, the lower house of Dutch parliament, backs plans to station an extra trauma helicopter at Teuge Airport in Gelderland, according to VVD and BBB after reports by RTL Nieuws. The parties, who have long pushed for this measure, say they have now secured the 15 million euros required in the budget.

MPs Harry Bevers of the VVD and BBB’s Femke Wiersma point to gaps in emergency care in eastern Netherlands and Limburg. Their proposal would deploy a trauma helicopter in Gelderland and a mobile medical team in Zuid-Limburg.

Teuge Airport is set to host the Netherlands’ fifth trauma helicopter. At present, the Netherlands has four operational trauma helicopters, based in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Volkel in the province of Noord-Brabant, and Groningen.

The team will operate around the clock, providing coverage for eastern Netherlands while also reducing the workload of trauma teams in Amsterdam and Rotterdam.

Zuid-Limburg will receive an extra Mobiel Medisch Team that operates by road. The unit is expected to be stationed at Maastricht Aachen Airport in Beek. Some areas in eastern Netherlands and Zuid-Limburg face excessively long response times from existing MMT units.

MMT Nederland reports that requests for trauma helicopter deployments have doubled in the last decade, underscoring the growing need to expand capacity.