The waiting time for an ambulance in Tricity greatly depends on the area: in some parts of Gdańsk, the crew arrives in an average of less than 14 minutes, while in others, one has to wait longer than half an hour
The reason for the inspection was complaints from residents about long waiting times. One of them recounted that late in the evening, his elderly relative fell, hit his head, and started feeling nauseous — the family called an ambulance. While the crew was on the way, the man received a call from his relatives, and he made it from the Osowa area to Jasień in about 20 minutes — faster than the ambulance. According to him, after that, they had to wait for the ambulance for another 25 minutes.
Journalists examined how long residents of Gdańsk, Gdynia, and Sopot wait for medical assistance on average
Gdańsk: a difference of almost 17 minutes
According to the Pomeranian Voivodeship Office, the arrival time of ambulances in Gdańsk varies significantly depending on the district
Zespoły osiągnęły następujące miejsca najszybciej:
- Aniołki — 13 min 34 sec
- Przymorze Małe — 13 min 42 sec
- Żabianka-Wejhera-Jelitkowo-Tysiąclecia — 13 min 57 sec
The ambulance takes the longest to reach Kokoszki (20 min 18 sec) and Orunia Górna-Gdańsk Południe (20 min 10 sec). However, Wyspa Sobieszewska stands out particularly — here the average waiting time reaches 30 minutes 27 seconds, creating almost a 17-minute gap between the best and worst performance in the city
Gdynia: the situation is better
The average arrival time of ambulances in Gdynia is 14 minutes and 4 seconds. The fastest teams reach Obłuże (11 min 49 sec), Śródmieście (12 min 24 sec), and Cisowa (12 min 42 sec). The longest wait times are in Mały Kack (16 min 44 sec), Leszczynki (16 min 20 sec), and Pustki Cisowskie-Demptowo (16 min 2 sec)
Sopot: about 13.5 minutes
In Sopot, the average arrival time of an ambulance is 13 minutes and 32 seconds. This is slightly faster than the average in Gdynia, and noticeably faster than in the problematic areas of Gdańsk.
Wyspa Sobieszewska is waiting the longest
The data covers the period from January 1 to May 31, 2026 — that is, until the seasonal team starts working, which has been on duty on the island around the clock in June, July, and August since 2024, helping to manage the influx of tourists
At other times, there is no separate permanent crew on the island: the nearest available vehicle is dispatched to the call, which can significantly increase the waiting time if other crews are already busy
The average arrival time is not a guarantee of how long a specific resident will actually wait. The real time is influenced by the number of simultaneous calls, crew availability, traffic conditions, and the distance from the incident location. The teams are not assigned to specific areas: if the nearest vehicle is busy, the dispatcher sends a free one from another part of the city. Therefore, even a simple call can turn into a long wait if the system is operating at its limits — especially in areas far from the main bases of the teams.
