Guides
Medical assessment
Before departure, a physician decides whether the journey is safe and what care level is needed on the way.
What this means for you
Assessment is not bureaucracy: it is protection. A patient who sounds “fine” on the phone may need monitoring only a physician can judge.
The outcome is a proposal: type A, B or C on the road, commercial-flight escort, or — rarely — air ambulance coordination.
If information is incomplete, we will ask the treating hospital before confirming departure.
What we check
- Stability over the estimated duration of transfer.
- Need for oxygen, continuous medication, devices.
- Special risks (infection, isolation, positioning limits).
- Fit with commercial flight rules, if that is an option.
Guidelines and legal frame (briefly)
- Transfer guidance: “stable for transfer” does not mean “cured”; it means “safe for the chosen journey”.
- Crew level must be able to respond to foreseeable deterioration en route.
- For flights, assessment also links to airline fit-to-fly requirements.
- Final mode choice sits with the coordinating physician, in dialogue with the treating doctor.
Useful documents (when available)
- Recent medical letter / discharge summary.
- Medication list and allergies.
- Recent imaging or labs if the hospital can send them securely.
- Treating doctor’s name and a contact number.
General information based on good practice in medical transfer: assess before transfer, continuity of care, clear handover. It does not replace a physician’s assessment.