FOI 25-363 Response Times 2020-2025
Freedom of Information Request
- Reference
- FOI 25-363 Response Times 2020-2025
- Request Date
- 25 Aug 2025
- Response Date
- 12 Sep 2025
- Information Requested
Under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, I would like to request the following information: For each of the last five years, how many 999 calls were categorised as “life-threatening” but were not responded to within the 8-minute target time. If possible, please also provide the proportion (%) of all life-threatening calls that fell outside the target in each year.
- Response
Important Information to consider – The Scottish Ambulance Service no longer operates to target times, the historical measure for immediate life threatening was within 8 minutes as a percentage.
Please see the attached sheet detailing Purple Response Times from 01/01/2020 - 31/07/2025.
Tab 1 details the total number of purple emergency incidents attended for each year requested, with the median1 and 90th percentile2 response times.
Tab 2 details the purple emergency attended incidents, totals, and percentages within 8 minutes by calendar year.
Please note: the response times show total time and do not factor in possible upgrading or downgrading that may occur depending on the patient condition. For example, a call may start out as a yellow call, subsequently be upgraded to a purple call sometime later, but only the total time from the first call received is shown. The starting point is always set for the colour category first determined, not the final colour category assigned. Where delays occur, clinical advisors maintain contact with the patient, checking their condition on an ongoing basis, and upgrading when appropriate.
- Response Documents
