FOI 25-405 Fixed Target Times

Freedom of Information Request

Reference
FOI 25-405 Fixed Target Times
Request Date
19 Sep 2025
Response Date
14 Oct 2025
Information Requested
  1. The date on which the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) ceased using formal response time targets (e.g., 8 minutes for ILT CAT 1 calls) as performance measures. 
  2. The title and reference of the policy, procedure, or operational guidance that effected this change (the current and immediately previous versions). 
  3. Any staff communication announcing or explaining the change (e.g., bulletin, email) including the issue date. 
  4. The current formal standard used by SAS for prioritising/emergency response (e.g., “clinical prioritisation” model) and any document that defines it. 

Please supply documents in electronic format (PDF for documents; if held as web pages, a link plus the publication date is fine). If the estimated cost exceeds the statutory limit, please process Items 1–3 only and advise what could be supplied within the limit. 

Response

We can confirm that the Scottish Ambulance Service continues to use formal response time targets as part of its performance measurement framework. However, these targets are no longer based on a universal 8-minute standard for Immediate Life Threatening (ILT) Category 1 calls. 

Instead, SAS has adopted a clinical prioritisation model, with defined response time aims tailored to the acuity of the patient’s condition. The current framework includes the following formal targets: 

Clinical Category 

Median Response Time Target 

95th Percentile Response Time Target 

Purple (Critically Unwell) 

≤ 7 minutes 

≤ 20 minutes 

Red (High Risk of Acute Deterioration) 

≤ 8 minutes 

≤ 24 minutes 

 

More information can be found on our website in the Board Papers Microsoft Word - 2025-05-28 Item 05 SAS Board Measurement Framework 202526 V1.0 

 

This move has been a gradual implementation since the introduction of the Clinical Response Model in 2016. 

 

Important Information to Consider 

 

  • Clinical Response Model: SAS continues to evolve its clinical response model, which prioritizes calls based on clinical need rather than solely on time-based targets. This model aims to improve patient outcomes by ensuring the most urgent cases receive the fastest response. 
  • Purple Target: The service maintains a target of responding to Purple (life-threatening) emergencies within 8 minutes, though performance varies by geography and demand. 
  • Operational Improvements: In May 2023, operational changes—including staff redeployment and improved scheduling—released 34 hours of crew time back into service, enhancing overall responsiveness. 
  • Collaborative Work: SAS is working closely with the National Urgent & Unscheduled Care Mental Health Team to improve access to alternative care pathways, reducing unnecessary ambulance dispatches and hospital conveyance. 
  • Strategic Shift: The service is moving toward a more flexible and clinically driven model, focusing on: 
  • Reducing handover delays at hospitals. 
  • Increasing ambulance availability for critical cases. 
  • Enhancing community-based care options through initiatives like “Call Before You Convey.” 

This shift reflects a broader strategy to balance response time performance with clinical appropriateness, resource efficiency, and patient safety. 

The current formal standard is the Clinical Response Model (CRM). This model categorises emergency calls into five clinical priority levels: 

  • Purple – Most critically ill patients (e.g., cardiac arrest) 
  • Red – High likelihood of needing resuscitation 
  • Amber – Likely to need diagnosis and transport 
  • Yellow – Low likelihood of needing life-saving intervention 
  • Green – Non-urgent scheduled care 
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