FOI 25-372 Red and Purple Call Response Times
Freedom of Information Request
- Reference
- FOI 25-372 Red and Purple Call Response Times
- Request Date
- 28 Aug 2025
- Response Date
- 24 Sep 2025
- Information Requested
I am writing to request data from your systems that provide details of how often ‘blue light’ vehicles are sent on emergency callouts, and the subsequent waiting times experienced for these units to arrive on scene.
If it is available separately, I am also hoping to receive insights into the quantity of relevant ‘blue light’ vehicle units in each fleet, and current vehicle status.
Notes:
- When defining ‘emergency callouts’, please focus on category 1 (calls from people with life-threatening illnesses or injuries) and category 2 (emergency calls) only [or equivalent, if other categorisation - e.g. ‘RED’]
- When defining ‘blue light’ vehicles, please consider all relevant vehicle types (e.g. ambulances and other medical response vehicles) which might be sent to these emergency callouts
Therefore, I would like to request the following information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000:
—-----------------------------------------------------------
Please provide the below data, specifically in relation to relevant ‘blue light’ vehicles for emergency callouts for the entity:
1. Call out quantities // the number of emergency call outs that resulted in a ‘blue light’ vehicle being sent to scene (e.g. category 1 and category 2) - broken down for each individual date in a recent 12-month period
2. Average wait times // the average wait time for emergency call outs, duration between receiving the call to a ‘blue light’ vehicle arriving on scene (e.g. category 1 and category 2) - broken down for each individual date in a recent 12-month period
3. Vehicle units in fleet // the total number of ‘blue light’ vehicles in the current fleet (as of 27/08/2025) and how many were in the fleet on of 27/08/2024
4. Units out of action // the total number of ‘blue light’ vehicles in the current fleet that have been ‘out of action’ at any point, for any duration, and for any reason during 2025 to date (up to 27/08/2025), plus the total number that were ‘out of action’ on 27/08/2025 (if any)
—
Date considerations:
- If ‘a 12-month period’ has been requested, please use 28/08/2024-27/08/2025 where possible
*If this date range is not available, please use the most recent consecutive 12-month period with data available (and confirm what range has been used in this case)
**Note: If a 12-month range is ‘out of scope’ due to cost limitations, please provide the information for Q4 2024 only (01/10/2024-31/12/2024)
- If 27/08/2025 and/or 27/08/2024 has been specifically requested, please use these dates where possible
*If data is not available for these specific dates, please use the most recent date with data available (and confirm what date has been used in this case)
—-----------------------------------------------------------
My understanding is that the data requested for points 1. and 2. can be exported from the management system, and that is my intention in the request, allowing it to be simply coded or exported.
I am happy to discuss file types if needed, but would prefer to receive as CSV file where possible.
If it is not possible to provide all of the above due to cost limits or exemptions, please provide as much as you are able within the cost threshold and let me know what could be provided with a refined request.- Response
The Scottish Ambulance Service does not categorise calls in the same way as other ambulance trusts (category 1 and category 2).
The Scottish Ambulance Service implemented the Clinical Response Model (CRM) for Emergency 999 calls in November 2016. The CRM aims to save more lives by more accurately identifying patients with immediately life-threatening conditions, such as cardiac arrest; and to safely and more effectively send the right type of resource first time to all patients based on their clinical need.
The model institutes a colour-coded system, which categorises 999 calls in terms of clinical need. Cases are coded purple, red, amber, yellow and green.
In less urgent cases, call handlers may spend more time with patients to better understand their health needs and ensure they send the most appropriate resource for their condition and clinical need.
The process is also designed to identify instances when an ambulance is not needed and instead the patient can be referred to an alternative pathway such as GPs, NHS24 or outpatient services. All calls are triaged into the following categories:
Purple: Our most critically ill patients. This is where a patient is identified as having a 10% or more chance of having a cardiac arrest. The actual cardiac arrest rate across this category is approximately 53%.
Red: Our next most serious category where a patient is identified as having a likelihood of cardiac arrest between 1% and 9.9%, or having a need for resuscitation interventions such as airway management above 2%. Currently the cardiac arrest rate in this category is approximately 1.5%.
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 some time 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.
These response times cannot be compared with response times from other Ambulatory Trusts.
Please see the attached sheet detailing the number of purple and red incidents attended by the Scottish Ambulance Service from 01/09/2024 - 31/08/2025. For each date in the 12 month period, we have included the median1 response time, average response time and 90th percentile2 response time.
A complete publication of the Scottish Ambulance Service’s fleet list is available on our website fleet-list-20250806.xlsx.
The Scottish Ambulance Service has applied section 17 to a fleet list for 27/08/2025 as information not held.
There’s a distinction between creating new information, and compiling information already held. Where a request can be answered by compiling information from readily available resources held by the public authority, this is not the same as creating new information. However, if collation of the information would require skill and complex judgement, the information is not held.
The Scottish Ambulance Service does not categories ambulances as ‘out of action’ and therefore would not be able to report on vehicles that are off the road and ‘out of action’. Any ambulances that are taken off the road are replaced by a ‘spare’ ambulance vehicle.
- Response Documents
