Lower Austria rescue groups plan protest over emergency reform

Two rescue organisations in Lower Austria plan to protest outside the state parliament in St Pölten on 19 November, calling for swift approval of the emergency medical services reform. ORF reported that the Red Cross Lower Austria and the Arbeiter-Samariter-Bund Lower Austria also intend to deliver a petition to parliamentary parties.

The organisations say the political debate has been “in parts, unsound” and is causing public uncertainty. They say two contracts remain outstanding: one on funding rescue services and another on reorganising emergency medical care. State Councillor Eva Prischl of the Social Democratic Party must submit the contracts to the state government for approval.

The reform is planned to take effect on 1 April 2027. It would restructure 11 of the 32 existing emergency doctor bases and introduce ambulance vehicles with emergency care capabilities, staffed by specially trained emergency paramedics.

The organisations say they have worked on developing the system and training staff since 2021. They have also been preparing vehicles and say the planned start date was confirmed in December last year. “The only thing missing now is the state government’s approval,” they said, adding that preparations had advanced too far to halt the entire process.

The start date remains uncertain. Prischl announced an external review of the proposed care structure in late October, and a delay has not been ruled out. The review is expected to be completed in the coming days. On Wednesday, Social Democratic Party state leader Sven Hergovich presented a separate report that he said supported his criticism of the reform. The expert who prepared it said more data was needed for a comprehensive assessment.

The rescue organisations say the contracts have been negotiated and approved by their governing bodies, and that they have already incurred costs. Without a swift decision, they warn, progress on emergency care could stall, affecting both the security of provision and the funding of services.