Latvia plans priority system for emergency medical calls and new state-funded health services
Latvia's Health Ministry has proposed amendments that would sort emergency medical service calls into three priority levels based on severity, alongside new state-funded health services. Public consultation on the changes runs until September 12.
Latvia's Health Ministry has proposed changes to Cabinet Regulation No. 555, which governs how healthcare services are organized and funded. The most significant change concerns the State Emergency Medical Service (NMPD): calls would be sorted into three priority levels based on how serious a patient's condition is, with a different target response time for each.
Faster response for life-threatening cases
For the highest-priority, life-threatening cases — such as cardiac or respiratory arrest, severe injuries from accidents or fires, choking, or drowning — the goal would be for medics to arrive within an average of eight minutes in cities and major centers, and around 15 minutes elsewhere in Latvia. Current regulations set arrival times ranging from 12 to 25 minutes depending on the situation. NMPD notes that it already prioritizes calls internally, but this practice is not currently anchored in law.
For lower-priority calls, where there is no immediate danger to life but urgent medical help is still needed, waiting times could, depending on operational circumstances, reach up to two hours in some cases. Hospitals would also face a new requirement to take over a patient brought in by an NMPD crew within 15 minutes.
New state-funded services
The amendments also aim to expand the range of state-funded healthcare services. A cardiovascular disease risk screening is planned for children aged five to 11, while people struggling with excess weight or obesity would gain access to state-funded consultations with a nutrition specialist. The changes also seek to clarify several rules on organizing and paying for healthcare services so they are applied consistently in practice.
The proposed changes to NMPD response procedures are based on World Health Organization recommendations and the service's 2026–2030 strategy. For the public, the way to call for emergency help will not change — people should still dial 112 in urgent situations. Public consultation on the draft amendments, hosted on Latvia's legal acts portal, continues until September 12.
