Singapore is advancing its on-demand private ambulance service landscape through a new collaboration that enables Speedoc users to hire a private ambulance for non-emergency transport in much the same way they book a private-hire car. The ground-breaking collaboration pairs Speedoc, a house-call doctor app, with Comfort Ambulance & Services, expanding access to urgent and scheduled medical transport across the island. The partnership currently brings 25 ambulances into the Speedoc ecosystem, with plans to onboard additional ambulance operators to broaden coverage and capacity. This development marks a significant shift in how patients and caregivers arrange non-emergency transport, offering a streamlined, app-based solution for moving between homes, clinics, hospitals, nursing homes, and hospices.
Partnership Launch and Fleet Expansion
The collaboration between Speedoc and Comfort Ambulance represents a strategic convergence of on-demand medical care and professional patient transport. Speedoc users can now request Comfort Ambulance’s fleet for patient transport from any location in Singapore to over 100 healthcare institutions island-wide. This expansive network includes hospitals, nursing homes, and hospices, ensuring that patients have convenient access to reliable, professional transport when needed. At the same time, Speedoc is actively engaging additional ambulance operators to join the app, signaling an ongoing expansion that could further broaden the reach and reliability of private ambulance services in the city-state.
The partnership is framed against a backdrop of evolving EMS services in Singapore. In early updates to public policy, the Singapore Civil Defence Force announced a shift away from dispatching ambulances for non-emergency cases, a move intended to sharpen resources for high-priority, life-threatening emergencies. This regulatory change has implications for patient transport, creating a clearer demarcation between emergency response and non-emergency medical transport. Against this backdrop, Speedoc’s private ambulance booking feature is positioned as a practical, timely solution for patients who require hospital-to-hospital or home-to-hospital transfers without the pressures of emergency dispatch queues.
The new service is designed to reduce the time patients wait for ambulances that can transport them safely and comfortably. Previously, users faced a fragmented landscape where dozens of operators operated independently, or they had to rely on a general hotline that could involve lengthy confirmation delays. By integrating Comfort Ambulance into the Speedoc app, users gain a single-point, transparent booking experience that consolidates availability and scheduling into one seamless interface. This consolidation is intended to improve coordination, reduce wait times, and deliver more predictable transport arrangements for patients and caregivers alike.
How Booking Works Within the Speedoc App
The Speedoc app has evolved to offer a unified booking experience that covers both doctor house calls and private ambulance transport. The ambulance-hailing feature enables users to initiate a request in the same way they would book a private-hire vehicle, with real-time visibility into availability and scheduling options. The integration of ambulance services within a familiar app environment is intended to minimize friction and empower users to arrange essential transport quickly, even during urgent circumstances that are not life-threatening but still require prompt hospital access.
Response times are a central promise of the service. Speedoc aims to provide ambulance responses within minutes after a booking is placed, leveraging the app’s round-the-clock availability. Users receive charge information before confirming their booking, ensuring financial transparency from the outset. This upfront disclosure extends to any ancillary services or equipment that might be required during transport, such as oxygen therapy or stretcher usage, with these charges itemized to prevent unexpected costs at a later stage.
The pricing framework is designed to adapt to the variables inherent in medical transport. Costs are influenced by factors including the timing of the request, the pickup and drop-off locations, and the day of the week. The system is structured to present customers with a clear, itemized quote before they commit to the booking. This approach aligns with broader patient safety and trust goals, ensuring families and caregivers can plan financial aspects in parallel with care logistics.
In addition to ambulance booking, the Speedoc app continues to support doctor house-call services, creating an integrated, end-to-end mobile healthcare platform. The integration means users can access both clinical and transportation support within a single, user-friendly interface, reducing the need to switch between multiple apps or agencies. The overarching aim is to improve patient experience by delivering timely care delivery and transport that are coordinated and predictable.
Regulatory Context, Demand Trends, and the EMS Landscape
The Singapore EMS context has evolved in recent years as policy makers recalibrate how emergency and non-emergency medical services are allocated. In a move aimed at enhancing overall system efficiency and prioritizing life-threatening emergencies, the authorities signaled that non-emergency ambulance dispatches would be curtailed by the public emergency response framework. This change creates a clearer separation between emergency response duties and non-emergency patient transport, potentially increasing demand for private ambulance options that operate outside of the core emergency response network.
Public data indicates that calls to the emergency number have been on an upward trajectory over the past decade, underscoring the growing demand for both urgent and non-urgent medical transport. While emergency services continue to prioritize serious conditions, there remains a substantial cohort of patients whose medical needs require timely hospital or clinic transfers that do not constitute immediate life threats. This landscape presents an opportunity for private ambulance providers to fill the gap, offering reliable transport with medical oversight, while accompanying caregivers can plan transport without relying on emergency dispatch resources.
Previously, patients seeking non-emergency ambulance services could contact multiple operators on a case-by-case basis or attempt to obtain capacity via a general hotline, which sometimes resulted in longer wait times and uncertain confirmations. The new Speedoc-Comfort Ambulance offering provides an alternative, consolidating supplier options within a single app-based platform. This reduces fragmentation and may shorten wait times, delivering a more predictable and convenient experience for patients, families, and healthcare providers who coordinate transport as part of comprehensive care plans.
Quality, Safety, and Operational Excellence
A core element of the Speedoc-Comfort Ambulance collaboration is a commitment to high standards of patient care and safety. Comfort Ambulance, a long-standing private ambulance provider with deep experience in Singapore, operates a fleet of ambulances equipped to support both emergency and non-emergency patient transport. The organization emphasizes professional patient care delivered by a team of qualified healthcare professionals whose capabilities are aligned with national medical regulations and best practices.
The staff roster includes paramedics and ambulance drivers who hold recognized credentials. In particular, team members are certified and accredited by the relevant national health authorities, with qualifications in emergency medical technique, defibrillation readiness, and basic life support. This credentialing framework is designed to ensure that patients receive competent, safe transport during all stages of transfer, from pickup to discharge. The combination of a well-equipped fleet and credentialed personnel is central to delivering reliable, safe, and timely patient movement across care settings.
From the perspective of patient transparency, the service outlines the charges associated with transport, including any supplementary services, so patients and caregivers can anticipate costs. The goal is to minimize hidden fees and provide a clear financial picture prior to the ambulance being dispatched. This approach is intended to reinforce trust and reduce financial uncertainty at what can be a stressful time for patients and families.
Dr. Shravan Verma, a key executive at Speedoc, emphasizes that the app-based model enables rapid ambulance responses and improved visibility into pricing. He notes that the service operates around the clock and that users will be informed of charges before confirming bookings. This combination of speed, clarity, and accessibility is presented as a major step forward for private ambulance transport in Singapore, aligning with broader aims to streamline healthcare delivery through technology-enabled solutions.
Dr. Daniel Chan, Group Deputy CEO of Fullerton Healthcare Group, which owns Comfort Ambulance, highlights the commitment to safety and quality. He underscores that Comfort Ambulance employs a team of qualified professionals and a fully equipped fleet, all operating under stringent regulatory standards. He stresses the importance of patient safety and reliable transport, and expresses pride in being the first private ambulance provider to partner with Speedoc to broaden access to essential services for patients.
Speedoc’s leadership signals ongoing collaboration with other private ambulance operators to expand the network further. The intention is to achieve economies of scale that can help reduce the overall cost of private ambulance booking for Singaporeans, making non-emergency transport more accessible and affordable for a wider segment of the population. The strategic intent is to build a scalable, interoperable ecosystem where multiple reputable operators can contribute to consistent, high-quality service through a single, well-integrated interface.
Impact on Accessibility, Patient Experience, and Care Pathways
The Speedoc and Comfort Ambulance collaboration is positioned as a catalyst for improved patient access to transportation, an important component of timely medical care. By integrating ambulance booking with doctor house-call services, Speedoc creates a more cohesive care pathway that supports continuity of care for patients requiring hospital or clinic visits without the immediacy of emergency response needs. This approach can be particularly beneficial for patients with mobility challenges, chronic conditions, or post-treatment follow-up requirements that necessitate safe, scheduled transport.
From a user perspective, the ability to view timing, distance, and pricing ahead of confirmation reduces uncertainty and enables more effective planning for caregivers and healthcare teams. The integration also aligns with broader healthcare trends toward patient-centric, on-demand services that minimize unnecessary hospital visits while ensuring patients receive appropriate care when and where it is needed.
The expansion of the private ambulance network within a unified app is likely to influence market dynamics in Singapore’s EMS space. As more operators come on board and capacity grows, there is potential for shorter wait times and increased reliability for non-emergency transport. This could translate into improved timeliness for hospital admissions, dialysis sessions, rehabilitation appointments, and palliative care planning, contributing to better overall patient outcomes and satisfaction with the care journey.
Leadership Vision, Accessibility Goals, and Future Plans
The leadership teams behind Speedoc and Comfort Ambulance articulate a shared mission to improve access to essential medical transport and to reduce the cost burden associated with non-emergency ambulance bookings. Speedoc’s leadership envisions achieving economies of scale by scaling the network, enabling more predictable pricing, and delivering faster response times to patients in need. The emphasis on pricing transparency and upfront charge disclosure is highlighted as a cornerstone of the user experience, reflecting a broader commitment to fairness and patient protection in the private ambulance space.
Comfort Ambulance represents a long-standing commitment to patient safety and high-quality care, with a focus on maintaining rigorous standards for staff qualifications and vehicle readiness. By partnering with Speedoc, Comfort Ambulance seeks to extend its reach, improving accessibility to its professional services for a wider segment of Singapore’s population. The collaboration is framed as a step toward more integrated, patient-centered transportation within the broader healthcare ecosystem.
Looking ahead, Speedoc indicates ongoing negotiations and onboarding efforts with additional ambulance operators. The goal is to create a robust, multi-operator network that can provide broad geographic coverage and consistent service levels. This expansion strategy is designed to improve resilience in the patient transport system and to offer healthcare providers and patients more reliable options for arranging non-emergency ambulance transport, with an emphasis on speed, safety, and affordability.
About Speedoc
Speedoc, established in 2017, is a Singapore-based company focused on delivering accessible medical care through technology-enabled services. The company’s mission centers on demonstrating that medical care can be delivered efficiently and conveniently through digital platforms, while addressing the needs of an aging population and leveraging advances in telemedicine and mobile health. Speedoc seeks to simplify access to medical services by connecting patients with doctors and related care providers in a streamlined, end-to-end system. The platform supports home medical visits, on-demand doctor consultations, and now, through the ambulance-hailing feature, private medical transport for non-emergency cases. For patients seeking convenience and quick access to care, Speedoc offers a comprehensive solution that combines clinical and transportation services in a single app environment. Speedoc’s emphasis on user-friendly design, round-the-clock availability, and transparent pricing positions it as a notable player in the evolving space of mobile healthcare in Singapore.
Speedoc’s services are designed to extend care beyond traditional clinic hours, enabling home visits and rapid access to medical professionals from the comfort of a patient’s home or selected care setting. The app ecosystem is designed to reduce the burden on crowded clinics and emergency departments by offering timely care options that match the patient’s clinical needs. The company has pursued partnerships and technology-driven innovations intended to improve the patient experience in an increasingly digital healthcare landscape.
About Comfort Ambulance
Comfort Ambulance & Services Pte Ltd has a long-standing presence in Singapore’s private ambulance sector, established in 2002, just before a major public health challenge earlier in the century. The company has since become a leading provider of private emergency and non-emergency ambulance services within the city-state. Comfort Ambulance operates a fleet of ambulances that are fully equipped to support a range of patient transport scenarios, aligning with national standards for safety and care. Beyond transport, Comfort Ambulance offers adjacent services including home nursing, medical evacuation, doctor house calls, and medical training programs. The organization emphasizes high standards of patient care, reliability, and punctuality in medical transportation, reflecting its commitment to supporting patients throughout the care continuum.
Given its experience and capabilities, Comfort Ambulance serves as a key partner within the Speedoc ecosystem, contributing to a diversified, high-quality ambulance offering for private transport. The collaboration underscores the importance of credentialed personnel, robust vehicle readiness, and a culture of patient safety that aligns with Singapore’s stringent regulatory environment for healthcare transport.
Conclusion
The partnership between Speedoc and Comfort Ambulance marks a meaningful advancement in Singapore’s non-emergency medical transport landscape. By bringing a coordinated private ambulance booking experience into a widely used house-call doctor app, patients gain faster access to professional transport across a broad network of healthcare facilities. The collaboration addresses long-standing pain points, including fragmented access to private ambulance services and the delays associated with calling multiple operators or relying on hotlines. As Speedoc continues to onboard additional ambulance partners, the platform aims to deliver greater coverage, faster response times, and clearer pricing for non-emergency medical transport.
This development sits within a broader trend toward integrated, technology-enabled healthcare services that prioritize patient-centered care and operational efficiency. The emphasis on safety, credentialed staff, and transparent charges reinforces trust in private ambulance services as a reliable component of Singapore’s healthcare delivery system. For patients and caregivers, the Speedoc-Comfort Ambulance arrangement offers a practical, scalable path to timely, comfortable, and safe transport whenever medical appointments or hospital transfers are needed. The ongoing expansion of the network and the continued collaboration across operators are likely to shape how non-emergency medical transport evolves in Singapore in the years ahead.
