From Florence we organise medical repatriation from A to Z: ambulance transport, medical escort, stretcher flights, air ambulance and bed-to-bed coordination to Belgium, the Netherlands and beyond.
An acute or serious medical situation in Firenze immediately raises practical questions: can the patient travel, which form of transport is safe, and who will arrange it? Bryan Morgan Care takes over that coordination, with options ranging from ambulance transport and medical escort on a scheduled flight to stretcher transport or a dedicated air ambulance, always focused on a safe bed-to-bed transfer.
There is no fixed package that suits everyone. We reassess each time what the patient needs: mobility, pain levels, oxygen requirements, any recent procedure, infection risk and the fit-to-fly assessment. These factors, together with the distance to an airport and the arrangements on arrival, determine the final choice.
When a medical situation arises in Firenze, we assess the options together with the treating doctors: continue treatment locally, transfer the patient to another centre elsewhere in Italy, or arrange a return to Belgium or the Netherlands.
Florence lies in a valley in the Tuscan hills along the Arno, with Careggi Hospital as the region's main trauma centre; the historic centre has pedestrian zones and limited access for ordinary traffic.
For medical repatriation from Firenze, we review the entire route: place of residence or hospital, local ambulance stage, ferry or airport options, medical documents, type of transport and arrangements on arrival.
The medical condition determines the choice: ambulance transport, medical escort on a scheduled flight, a stretcher flight or an air ambulance.
Repatriation is about a safe, medically responsible return home, to a hospital or to a rehabilitation centre. Comfort, mobility, pain, oxygen requirements, medical handover and practical feasibility are at least as important as the distance itself.
Because of the pedestrian zones and narrow streets in the historic centre of Florence, ambulances often have to take a detour, which can delay the journey to Careggi. Ambulance transport offers a safe alternative when flying is not necessary or desirable: for transfers within Italy, transport to an airport, inter-hospital transport and sometimes even a return to Belgium or the Netherlands.
Depending on the medical condition, we arrange suitable transport with nursing, paramedic or specialist medical support, including transport lying down, oxygen, monitoring and, where necessary, a proper handover to the receiving healthcare facility.
Florence Airport “Peretola” (FLR) is small, with limited scheduled international flights; for more extensive medical flights, Pisa Airport (PSA), about an hour farther away, is often used instead.
From Firenze, Florence Airport (FLR) is usually considered, depending on availability and the route chosen. The choice of airport is also determined by availability, medical clearance, flight duration, connections and the destination. Where necessary, we also arrange assistance, medical documents, escorts and onward ambulance transport.
When a case is critical, unstable or highly time-sensitive, only a dedicated air ambulance may be suitable. Examples include ICU patients, ventilation, severe trauma, neurological conditions, complex infections or situations in which a scheduled flight would be medically irresponsible.
With an air ambulance, we tailor everything to the medical urgency: the team, equipment, route, timing, ambulances at departure and arrival, and the handover at the receiving hospital.
For patients who cannot sit for extended periods but for whom an ambulance jet is not necessary, a stretcher on board a scheduled flight may offer a solution. The patient travels lying down, under supervision, and always after prior medical approval from the airline.
This requires more preparation than an ordinary flight: medical forms, airline approval, planning of the lying-down section, escort team, ambulance to the airport and reception at the destination.
Flying or travelling for a long time after surgery is not automatically safe. Factors such as pain, risk of thrombosis, oxygen requirements, wound care, risk of infection, immobility and possible complications must be carefully assessed.
We take responsibility for collecting medical information, consulting doctors and choosing a safe route. Depending on the situation, an escort on a scheduled flight may be sufficient, or transport lying down, additional oxygen, stretcher transport or an air ambulance may be required.
We professionally guide you through every step, from the first contact to a safe arrival. Exactly how this proceeds depends on the medical situation, the destination and the chosen form of transport.
You contact us and we collect the initial medical and practical information.
Together with you, we assess the condition, mobility, pain level, oxygen requirements and documents.
We present a realistic proposal with a suitable transport option and a clear cost estimate.
Once approved, we arrange transport, medical support, documents and the handover.
From departure to the destination — home, hospital or rehabilitation centre — the patient remains accompanied.
The examples below are anonymised but based on the practice of international medical repatriation, including in Italy itself. They show how different a case can be: from a palliative journey to ICU transport, medical escort, MICU or complex stretcher and ambulance planning.
During a short stay in Italy, a patient fell and was suspected of having a fracture. Because sitting for a long time was painful, ambulance transport with medical supervision to an airport was chosen, followed by onward transport home.
Following complications during a hospital admission in Italy, the patient required continuous ventilation. This called for a dedicated air ambulance with specialised equipment, a medical team and close coordination with the receiving hospital.
After suffering an epileptic seizure during a stay in Italy, the family wanted the patient to be followed up by their regular neurologist at home as soon as possible. After medical stabilisation, a scheduled flight with nursing support was arranged.
A young child developed a high fever and dehydration during a stay in Italy and had to be admitted briefly. After consultation with the paediatrician, a safe return journey on an escorted scheduled flight was planned in agreement with the parents.
An older ventilated patient had to be transferred to London. Due to the need for ventilation, monitoring and a safe handover, this was not standard transport. The journey required specialised equipment, medical preparation, cross-border planning and coordination with the receiving healthcare facility.
Travel insurance, a health insurance fund, assistance company or employer: some cases are handled through such a party, while others are organised entirely independently. Even without insurance, we can provide advice and, where possible, a clear quotation.
What is possible, what is not, the timing and the expected costs: we are always transparent about these matters. Our starting point is not the most expensive means of transport, but the safest feasible solution.
Bryan Morgan Care does not work like an anonymous lead-generation site, but as an operational medical transport organisation with experience in international repatriation, ambulance transport, medical escorts, stretcher journeys and complex patient transfers.
You speak to people who understand medical transport, can assess cases and organise practical steps. That makes a difference when families need clarity quickly.
A patient is admitted to a hospital in or near Firenze. We request medical information, assess the condition, consult with doctors and work out one or more options. The goal is always the same: a safe bed-to-bed transfer.
For a stable patient, a scheduled flight with medical supervision is often sufficient. If mobility is limited, a stretcher flight or ambulance transport may be more appropriate. In a serious or unstable situation, an air ambulance may be the only option.
Even without an insurer's approval, Bryan Morgan Care is ready to think along with you directly about a safe solution from Firenze.
Yes, this is usually possible. Together with the treating doctor, we determine whether ambulance transport, an escorted scheduled flight, stretcher transport or an air ambulance is most suitable.
Yes. Even without insurance, you can contact us directly for advice and, where possible, a clear quotation.
Yes. We support discharge planning, medical handover and communication with doctors, family and receiving healthcare facilities.
That depends on the distance and the medical condition. For some journeys from Italy to Belgium, the Netherlands or neighbouring countries, a medically supervised ambulance journey can be organised practically; for greater distances, we will consider a medical flight with you.
Florence Airport “Peretola” (FLR) is small, with limited scheduled international flights; for more extensive medical flights, Pisa Airport (PSA), about an hour farther away, is often used instead.
EU membership mainly governs access to necessary care during your stay, for example through the European Health Insurance Card, but it does not cover organised repatriation. Separate planning is still required for a safe return to Belgium or the Netherlands.
From Firenze, we always consider the wider region. Sometimes a nearby hospital, airport or cross-border route is more practical than the most obvious solution.
Information about Firenze is often considered together with other locations in Italy, such as Abruzzo, Puglia, Basilicata, Calabria, Campania, Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Lazio, given the distances between them, hospital care, airport routes and ambulance transport in the region.
Together, this forms a clear network for medical repatriation, ambulance transport, medical flights, stretcher transport and bed-to-bed support throughout Italy.
Medical repatriation is not limited to Firenze: we also assist with cases from countries including Belgium, Switzerland, Austria, Croatia, the United Kingdom and Poland. Practical details such as airports, distances and healthcare structures vary by country, even though the medical principles remain the same.
Contact us for ambulance transport, a medical flight, stretcher transport or an air ambulance from Firenze.