Ambulance Service Struggles: Stockholm City Centre Operated with Single Ambulance Due to Capacity Limit
**Central Stockholm Faces Ambulance Crisis**
Central Stockholm is currently grappling with a critical ambulance shortage, with the city centre having only one ambulance on duty on Tuesday, far below the normal minimum of three or more ambulances required to adequately cover districts such as Norrmalm, Vasastan, Östermalm, Kungsholmen, and nearby areas[1][5]. This situation, as recent as July 23, 2025, has been described as the worst staffing crisis in recent memory, even outside of pandemic or disaster scenarios[1].
The crisis has been attributed to a combination of vacant shifts, poor working environment, recruitment difficulties, high attrition, and inadequate county-wide coordination[1]. Ambulances from surrounding areas, like Lidingö or Solna, are being called in to help, but this leaves those areas without coverage, creating a precarious domino effect across the county[1].
Elected representative for the Swedish Healthcare Association and a safety representative at his workplace, Emil Skoglund, has expressed concerns about the current state of the central Stockholm ambulance service[2]. He has stated that new graduates are turning down offers from the ambulance service due to low salaries[3]. On Tuesday night, only one ambulance was serving the whole of central Stockholm[6].
Skoglund has also shared that he received three texts asking him to take extra shifts during his interview with the TT newswire[4]. He has stated that the current situation is the worst he has seen in eight years[7]. Opposition councillor Kristoffer Tamsons has stated that the current situation is a threat to patient safety[8].
Region Stockholm took back control over the region's ambulance service from the private sector during 2024 and 2025[9]. The pressure on the ambulance service is due to a combination of a bad working environment, resignations, and issues with recruitment[1].
| Issue | Current State in Central Stockholm | Contributing Factors | |------------------------------|-------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------| | Ambulance Coverage | Only 1 on duty for main city, far below normal[1][5] | Vacant shifts, recruitment difficulties | | Staffing Shortages | 16+ vacant specialist nurse shifts (northern Stockholm)[1] | Poor working environment, high attrition | | Regional Impact | Coverage pulled from other areas, leaving gaps[1] | Inadequate county-wide coordination | | Political Response | Crisis meetings, public alarm[1] | Underinvestment, systemic strain |
The situation has prompted a crisis meeting by regional management, with political figures describing the shortage as a “disaster” and a direct threat to patient safety[1]. The crisis is being framed not as an isolated incident but as the result of systemic strain and insufficient investment in emergency medical services[1]. Without significant systemic changes, patient safety remains at risk.
[1] TT newswire, July 23, 2025. [2] SVT Nyheter, July 24, 2025. [3] Aftonbladet, July 24, 2025. [4] TT newswire, July 24, 2025. [5] Dagens Nyheter, July 24, 2025. [6] Expressen, July 24, 2025. [7] SVT Nyheter, July 24, 2025. [8] Dagens Nyheter, July 24, 2025. [9] SVT Nyheter, January 1, 2025.
- The critical ambulance shortage in Central Stockholm has raised concerns not only in health-and-wellness circles, but also in political discussions about the state of emergency medical services and the need for systemic changes.
- The medical-conditions crisis in Central Stockholm, due to the lack of ambulance coverage, has been highlighted in general news, prompting discussions about the broader implications for public safety and the role of science and policy in addressing such issues.
