Health and Wellness
- (a) In which municipal areas have partnerships between emergency medical services (EMS) and private ambulance services been concluded and (b) how do these partnerships affect services in those areas;
- whether there are any plans for the extension of these partnerships to the rest of the province?
(1)(a) Emergency Medical Services (EMS) is a provincial competency and not organised at municipal level. To enhance service coverage and ensure equitable access to emergency care, the Western Cape Department of Health and Wellness (WCDHW): EMS has procured private ambulance services through a competitive tender process to augment capacity in specific areas.
Current contractual arrangements include:
- West Coast District: One provider in the Swartland subdistrict.
- Garden Route District: One provider in the Bitou subdistrict.
- Cape Metropole: Four providers operating across the metro health districts.
These contracts are governed by provincial supply chain management processes and monitored through defined service-level agreements (SLAs).
(1)(b) The contracted services are designed to support, not replace, provincial EMS operations. They primarily assist with Priority 2 interfacility transfers and operate along dedicated transport routes, thereby ensuring that the provincial emergency fleet remains available for high-acuity emergency responses.
These partnerships improve system efficiency, optimise resource utilisation, and maintain readiness for critical responses. Performance, compliance, and quality of service are monitored through regular SLA reviews and reporting mechanisms.
(2) The WCDHW has awarded a contract for the services mentioned above for the provision of interfacility transport and declaration-of-death services for the period 1 December 2025 to 30 November 2028, structured as a three-year agreement with annual renewal based on performance.
Continuous monitoring of service pressures and demand trends is underway to identify areas where additional private sector partnerships may further augment service delivery. Any future expansion of such arrangements will be guided by operational needs, service performance outcomes, available resources, and compliance with supply chain prescripts.
