Toronto EMS, as well as being the sole provider of emergency medical service for the City of Toronto, is also responsible for the delivery of non-emergency patient transfer services.

A transport is considered non-emergency if a patient is moving to or from a health facility, or between health facilities, for medically necessary reasons that are not a direct result of a sudden or unexpected deterioration in the patient’s condition, and which do not require immediate management of life, limb or function-threatening conditions. This includes patients being discharged from hospital but unable to use conventional means of transportation, or those requiring specialized diagnostic and treatment facilities available only at specific hospitals.

Toronto EMS transports over 58,000 patients annually between medical institutions for diagnostic and treatment appointments, admissions, and discharges to chronic care facilities or home. Toronto EMS provides non-emergency transfer services between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. weekdays, and 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends. Toronto EMS dedicates a fleet of up to 10 ambulances to handle non-emergency patient transfers. Additional resources are added depending on demand. These non-emergency ambulances (NEA) are staffed with two Level I paramedics who are able to provide primary paramedic patient care.

Toronto EMS is committed to providing efficient on-time service for all non-emergency transfer services.

To arrange a non-emergency patient transfer, please call 416-638-7301.