FOI 25-566 Argyll and Bute Onward Referrals
Freedom of Information Request
- Reference
- FOI 25-566 Argyll and Bute Onward Referrals
- Request Date
- 03 Dec 2025
- Response Date
- 17 Dec 2025
- Information Requested
1) From 2020 to date, how many onward referrals in Argyll & Bute have there been to community-based services when the person was not assessed as needing admittance to hospital? What were the reasons recorded for these call outs e.g. non injured fallers, welfare checks, transport to support discharge from hospital? 2) What is the current average cost of an ambulance call out in Argyll & Bute?
- Response
There may be occasions where the Scottish Ambulance Service has attended and assessed a patient as having no clinical need to be transferred to hospital. SAS crews may identify an alternative pathway such as GPs, NHS24 or outpatient services.
Please see the table below detailing the number of patients attended by the Scottish Ambulance Service in Argyll and Bute who were referred on to other community-based services.
Calendar Year
Councilareaname
Patient Was Referred YesNo
Any Conveyance To Hospital Flag
Referrals
2020
Argyll and Bute
Yes
FALSE
460
2021
Argyll and Bute
Yes
FALSE
487
2022
Argyll and Bute
Yes
FALSE
424
2023
Argyll and Bute
Yes
FALSE
464
2024
Argyll and Bute
Yes
FALSE
536
2025
Argyll and Bute
Yes
FALSE
202
We have applied section 17 of the Freedom of Information Scotland Act 2002 to the request for recorded reasons. The Scottish Ambulance Service does not have a dataset to report on reasons for referrals; it is for this reason this information is considered not held.
Under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), public authorities are required to provide access to recorded information that they hold at the time of the request. However, FOISA does not oblige authorities to create new information in order to respond to a request. This means that if the requested information does not exist in a recorded form, the authority is not required to generate, compile, or otherwise create it. The Scottish Ambulance Service does not hold any calculations on the average cost of an ambulance call-put in Argyll and Bute. Its is for this reason we have applied section 17 of the Freedom of Information Scotland Act 2002 as information not held.
