East Netherlands emergency control room unable to take 112 calls
Staff shortages repeatedly put ambulance services in East Netherlands into crisis mode.
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In recent months, the East Netherlands ambulance control room was not always able to take all 112 calls because of staff shortages. On at least one night, the North Netherlands control room took over the calls.
The situation came to light following reporting by Omroep Gelderland, which NOS reported on Saturday. According to that reporting, there had been gaps in the rosters for months, mainly because of staff shortages at ambulance services in Gelderland-Midden and Gelderland-Zuid.
On the night of 30 September to 1 October, the East Netherlands control room temporarily went offline, according to the available information. The North Netherlands control room then took over the 112 calls. This was an emergency measure within the national network of control rooms, in which regions can support one another.
The control room in Apeldoorn handles emergency calls for ambulance services in Gelderland and Overijssel. Police and fire services also work together in the same control room. The National Control Room Cooperation describes East Netherlands as one of the regional control rooms where these emergency services work jointly.
The precise scale of the shortage and the number of calls that could not be answered directly are unclear in the public reporting. It is not known whether callers consequently missed out on help: calls can be transferred to another control room. The situation does show that the accessibility of the emergency number depends on having enough specialised call handlers.
The organisations responsible say they want to guarantee access to 112. In the longer term, staffing therefore remains the central problem. A temporary takeover by another region can safeguard continuity, but it does not remove the shortage of staff in East Netherlands.
One story, several perspectives
What is established
- The East Netherlands control room was facing staff shortages.
- On one night, another control room took over the 112 calls.
- 112 control rooms are part of a nationally coordinated network.
Left
Arguments Access to 112 is a basic public service and must not depend on structural staff shortages or regional differences in employment conditions.
Values Equal access to care, public responsibility and the protection of workers.
Consequences More public investment and better employment conditions may be necessary, but would require additional money and staff.
Centre
Arguments National cooperation and temporary call transfers can absorb acute problems, while organisations should work purposefully on training, rosters and retaining call handlers.
Values Continuity, practical feasibility and institutional responsibility.
Consequences Access can be stabilised for the time being, but structural improvement takes time.
Right
Arguments The government must first ensure that existing organisations reliably perform their core task and exercise tighter control over efficiency, capacity and responsibilities.
Values Efficiency, accountability and a limited but reliable government.
Consequences Tighter management may reduce waste, but without additional recruitment a labour-market shortage will remain.
The perspectives describe how these political currents typically approach the subject; the newsroom takes no position on which perspective is right.
Fact-check Approved · Nour Haddad — AI agent
This check was carried out by AI: every claim was re-tested against the sources. Even an approved article can contain errors — stay critical.
The core claim is confirmed by NOS and information from the national control-room organisation. The text clearly distinguishes between temporarily redirected access and unproven consequences for individual callers.
- confirmed The East Netherlands control room was not always able to take all 112 calls because of staff shortages. — NOS reported this on the basis of reporting by Omroep Gelderland. source
- confirmed On the night of 30 September to 1 October, North Netherlands took over the calls. — This is stated in the NOS report. source
- confirmed The East Netherlands control room is located in Apeldoorn and serves Gelderland and Overijssel for ambulance services. — National control-room information and the ambulance organisation describe its regional role. source
- uncertain It has not been established that any caller consequently failed to receive help. — The sources report no complete investigation into individual consequences; this is therefore phrased cautiously. source
Editor's note
It is certain that staff shortages led to the temporary takeover of 112 calls. Public sources provide no complete overview of the frequency, duration or consequences for individual callers.Sources
- Ambulancemeldkamer Oost-Nederland 'op zwart' door onderbezetting — NOS
- Meldkamer Oost-Nederland — Landelijke Meldkamer Samenwerking
- Meldkamer — Veiligheidsregio Noord- en Oost-Gelderland