Salzburg to launch 24-hour emergency care service in March

The city of Salzburg will launch a mobile emergency care service in March, with nine care professionals available around the clock for people who need urgent support, ORF reports.

The service is intended for situations such as when a family member who provides care suddenly falls ill or is otherwise unavailable. It will also offer temporary support after a hospital discharge if follow-up care at home is not yet in place, said Andrea Brandner, the city councillor for social affairs.

The service can respond to calls made to the health advice line 1450 when the problem turns out to require nursing care rather than a doctor’s attention, such as changing a dressing or replacing a catheter. Its director, Simone Ellinger, said qualified care professionals would assess the problem by phone, helping ease pressure on ambulance services and hospitals.

The service will be free for people aged 65 and over who need care in the city. Younger people may also be eligible depending on demand. The project is funded by the city and state of Salzburg and the Austrian Health Insurance Fund, at a cost of just over 1.1 million euros a year. It is initially planned to run for three years.