Sistema d'Emergències Mèdiques

What Sistema d'Emergències Mèdiques does

Sistema d'Emergències Mèdiques (SEM) is a government-owned public enterprise that operates the integrated prehospital emergency medical service and 061 health information line for the entire Catalonia autonomous community in Spain. Originally established as a 1985 pilot program and consolidated into a unified public company by 2005, SEM was legally transformed into a public law entity (entitat de dret públic) under Agreement GOV/251/2023 while remaining 100% owned by the Servei Català de la Salut (CatSalut). The organization coordinates 1,600+ ground ambulances, air medical units, high-complexity critical care teams (including ECMO), the multidisciplinary SEM-Firefighters unit, and pediatric emergency teams through its Central de Coordinació Sanitària (CECOS), handling 5.68 million alerts and mobilizing resources for 944,000+ incidents annually as of 2021.

SEM's product surface spans three pillars: Emergències Mèdiques (prehospital emergency care), 061 Salut Respon (24/7 telephone and digital health consultation), and Transport Sanitari No Urgent (non-urgent medical transport). Underlying technology includes the Estació Clínica d'Emergències (ECE) tablet software that integrates with Catalonia's shared health record (HC3) and patient portal (La Meva Salut), 5G-connected ambulances with real-time HD video specialist support, the RACECAT prehospital stroke assessment scale co-developed with Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol, automated external defibrillator (DEA) network integration, and a predictive AI model for incident forecasting developed jointly with CIDAI. The 061 Salut Respon mobile application provides multilingual support (90+ languages), sign language video calls, and accessibility features for deaf users.

SEM's business model is that of a public utility: services are provided free at the point of use to all citizens and visitors to Catalonia, with operations funded entirely through CatSalut's budget allocation from the Generalitat de Catalunya. SEM generates no commercial revenue from users, has no pricing tiers, and does not pursue geographic expansion beyond Catalonia except for limited humanitarian cooperation missions. End users include the general public of Catalonia (accessing via 112, 061, mobile app, or ambulance dispatch) and healthcare professionals (using remote consultation and clinical decision tools). SEM measures performance through operational KPIs such as the 8.91/10 user satisfaction rating, 96.5% repeat-use rate, and 95% of stroke codes achieving treatment within 90 minutes of suspicion.

Name

Sistema d'Emergències Mèdiques

Legal name

Sistema d'Emergències Mèdiques, SA

Website

https://sem.gencat.cat

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Sistema d'Emergències Mèdiques (SEM) is a government-owned public enterprise that operates the integrated prehospital emergency medical service and 061 health information line for all of Catalonia, Spain, coordinating 1,600+ ambulances and serving 7.7M citizens with free, publicly funded emergency response.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Emergency Medical Services

NAICS

Ambulance Services (62191), All Other Miscellaneous Ambulatory Health Care Services (621999)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) & Ambulance Services (BPAIAGAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Wheelchair-Accessible Vehicle (WAV) & Stretcher Transport Services (TLAFAKAC), Health & Medical Risk Management (Vaccination Guidance, Telemedicine, Medical Networks) (THACAEAF)

Keywords

• Prehospital emergency medicine
• Emergency medical dispatch
• 061 health helpline
• Medical transport coordination
• Government emergency services

Headquarters

HQ city

L'hospitalet De Llobregat

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Public Health Service Funding: SEM operates as a public enterprise (100% owned by Servei Català de la Salut - CatSalut). Funded through the Catalan government health budget. Services are provided free to citizens at point of use.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sistema d'Emergències Mèdiques (SEM) is the public enterprise that delivers integrated prehospital emergency medical services for the citizens of Catalonia. Its core offering centers on three pillars: (1) Emergències Mèdiques — prehospital urgent and emergency care including ground ambulance and air medical response, specialized units and inter-hospital critical transfers; (2) 061 Salut Respon — a 24/7 telephone and mobile-app-based non-presential health advice service that triages, advises, and dispatches medical resources; and (3) Transport Sanitari No Urgent — non-urgent patient transport for those who cannot travel by ordinary means due to clinical reasons. All services are provided free at the point of use and funded through the Catalan Health Service (CatSalut).

Product overview

Sistema d'Emergències Mèdiques (SEM) operates as an integrated emergency medical services system consisting of three main pillars: Emergències Mèdiques (prehospital emergency care), 061 Salut Respon (non-presencial health telephone service), and Transport Sanitari No Urgent (non-urgent patient transport). The ecosystem includes mobile applications (App 061 Salut Respon, App ACR Respon), clinical software (Estació Clínica d'Emergències/ECE), specialized services (air units, UIS, SEM-Bombers joint units, pediatric emergency teams, psychology units, high-complexity critical care teams), and AI-powered predictive analytics tools developed with CIDAI. The 061 service is complemented by the Central de Coordinació Sanitària (CECOS) which coordinates all operations through over 200 professionals. Clinical protocols like Codi Ictus (stroke code) and RACECAT stroke assessment tool are integral parts of the service portfolio.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Emergències Mèdiques (Prehospital Emergency Care) Integrated prehospital urgent and emergency medical service for injured and critically ill patients, including deployment of ground and air ambulances, specialized units, activation of stroke and cardiac codes, and inter-hospital transfers for critical patients across Catalonia.
• 061 Salut Respon Telephone Health Advice Service 24/7 non-presential health advice and information service available by telephone, offering health consultations, administrative procedures, and the activation of home medical visits or ambulance dispatch when needed.
• App 061 Salut Respon Mobile Application Free mobile application for iOS and Android enabling voice and video calls to 061, live chat with consultants, health data registration, geolocation services, vaccination calendar, first-aid tutorials, pharmacy locator, and accessibility features including sign-language video consultation for deaf users.
• App ACR Respon Mobile Application Mobile application for accessing automated external defibrillator (ACR/DEA) response services, enabling location and dispatch of the nearest defibrillator during out-of-hospital cardiac emergencies.
• Transport Sanitari No Urgent (TSNU) Non-urgent health transport service for patients who cannot travel using ordinary transport due to physical impossibility or clinical reasons, providing access to healthcare services.
• Central de Coordinació Sanitària (CECOS) Central health coordination center that receives and manages all healthcare assistance requests for Catalonia, staffed by more than 200 medical, nursing, and technical professionals providing remote advisory or resource mobilization 24/7.
• Unitat de Mitjans Aeris (Air Medical Unit) Helicopter-based medical unit providing rapid response for critical patients in areas difficult to reach by ground ambulance or for time-critical emergencies across Catalonia.
• Unitat d'Intervenció i Suport (UIS) Intervention and Support Unit providing specialized emergency response services and psychological support during critical incidents and disasters.
• Unitat Multidisciplinari SEM-Bombers Joint multidisciplinary unit formed by SEM and Firefighter personnel providing medical assistance during rescue operations, with two joint teams operating across Catalonia.
• Equips d'Atenció al Pacient Crític d'Alta Complexitat High-complexity critical patient care teams including ECOS, ERI vehicles, and ECMO therapy units providing advanced life support for the most severe cases.
• SEM Pediàtric Pediatric emergency service with specialized teams and equipment for treating critically ill children, including dedicated coordination with pediatric hospitals across Catalonia.
• Codi Ictus (Stroke Code) Activation system for the rapid identification, pre-hospital treatment and inter-hospital coordination of stroke patients, enabling earlier thrombolysis and thrombectomy with 95% achieving treatment initiation within 90 minutes from suspicion.
• Equips de Coordinació Clínica i Operativa (ECO) Clinical and Operational Coordination Teams providing 24-hour remote clinical guidance and operational support to ambulance crews in the field.
• Unitat de Psicòlegs (Psychology Unit) Psychology unit providing psychological support and crisis intervention services for patients, families, and during disaster situations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 8.91/10 average user satisfaction rating
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability3 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Save the ChildrenminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019SEM partnered with Save the Children through the Solidari Calendari initiative. Proceeds from calendar sales (€11,880) were donated to two Save the Children projects: the 'Vos Hestia' Mediterranean rescue ship and the 'Supermamás' project in Barcelona supporting vulnerable single-parent families.
• Escuts Solidaris contra el Càncer InfantilminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019SEM joined the #pelsvalents solidarity campaign organized by this group of Local Police members from across Catalonia. The campaign raised €500,000 for pediatric cancer research at Hospital Sant Joan de Déu through sale of FIT&help watches and other solidarity products.
• Fundació Mutual de ConductorsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with this foundation and Servei Català de Trànsit on the 'Canvi de Marxa' educational project, which uses dramatic presentations and real testimonials to warn young people about the consequences of driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
• Hospital Sant Joan de DéuminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPediatric oncology center partner for the #pelsvalents campaign. SEM supports their Pediatric Cancer Center, one of the largest pediatric oncology centers in Europe.
• Banc de Sang i TeixitsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnnual participation in solidarity campaigns including tap collection for ACNFI (Catalan Neurofibromatosis Association) and food drives during Christmas campaigns.
• Hospital Germans Trias i PujolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint development of the RACECAT scale (Rapid Arterial oCclusion Evaluation) for prehospital stroke assessment. This tool is used by SEM technicians to identify and evaluate acute stroke patients.
• Club Ciclista CyclotimicsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEM provides preventive medical coverage with mobile units and volunteer professionals for the annual 'Marxa Cicloturista Solidaria Sepsis Mataró' (77km cycling event raising funds for research on serious infections).
• Mossos d'EsquadraminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSEM provides preventive coverage with ambulances and volunteer professionals for the 'Manresa-Montserrat Solidarity Walk' organized by this police regional group, raising funds for oncology services in Central Catalonia.
• CIDAI (Centre d'Innovació i Aplicacions de Dades i IA)coreTechnology or IntegrationJoint development with CIDAI of an advanced AI predictive model for forecasting emergency incidents, enabling proactive resource deployment and improved emergency response.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/semgencat
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC3oG0a494eJi9IOtm-ZrNSQ

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sistema d'Emergències Mèdiques