The Servicio de Salud de Castilla-La Mancha (SESCAM) is overseeing the change of operators for land-based patient transport in the provinces of Cuenca and Guadalajara with a special operation. Handover management begins overnight from Friday to Saturday, 16/17 October 2026, and will be closely monitored throughout the weekend to ensure seamless emergency journeys, transfers and connection to the control centres.
The Gerencia de Urgencias, Emergencias y Transporte Sanitario (GUETS) is checking vehicle availability, integration with 112 control-centre communications and dispatch arrangements on site. According to SESCAM, technical acceptance checks and vehicle inspections were completed in the days before the changeover. Further system tests, test drives and communications checks are scheduled over the weekend to ensure the new fleets and digital systems work under real-world conditions.
Following completion of the technical and organisational checks, scheduled patient transport is due to enter normal service on Monday, 19 October 2026. Until then, the focus is on safeguarding emergency care and ensuring an orderly handover of ongoing processes between the outgoing and incoming companies. The regional Gerencias de Atención Integrada are coordinating operations with hospitals and primary care centres.
SESCAM notes that the arrangements also take account of specific mobility needs. Preparatory discussions were held with patient representatives and disability organisations. The aim is to avoid empty journeys and delays, position emergency vehicles according to need, and maintain reliable transport chains for dialysis, oncology and rehabilitation patients.
The notices available do not name the new operators, specify the exact number of available emergency and patient transport vehicles, or indicate any potential staffing consequences of the change. SESCAM has, however, pledged to monitor the situation continuously and says it will oversee the transition with an increased presence of management teams. This should allow any disruptions to be identified early and resolved promptly.
The immediate trigger is the launch of the new service overnight on 17 October, with enhanced supervision through Sunday. This is intended to safeguard continuity of care in Cuenca and Guadalajara before full routine operations for scheduled transport resume on Monday.
Editor: Mira Cadena (Article created with AI assistance).