FOI 26-016 Mappable SAS Details
Freedom of Information Request
- Reference
- FOI 26-016 Mappable SAS Details
- Request Date
- 07 Jan 2026
- Response Date
- 04 Feb 2026
- Information Requested
Please provide all information in a machine-readable and mappable format wherever possible (e.g., GIS coordinates, GeoJSON, KML, CSV with latitude/longitude, shapefiles), rather than static images or generic diagrams. Specifically, I request the following: ⸻
- Precise Geographical Boundary of SAS Operational Area Please provide the precise, official geographical boundary (polygon) of the SAS area of responsibility. This should include:
- A polygon or set of polygons defined by latitude/longitude coordinates suitable for use in mapping applications (e.g., Google Maps, QGIS, ArcGIS, etc.).
- Preferred formats: GeoJSON, KML, ESRI Shapefile, or CSV with coordinate pairs.
- If available, please include metadata indicating the coordinate reference system (e.g., WGS84). Please do not provide a generic outline photograph or schematic.
- I require data that can be rendered on commonly used mapping platforms.
- Full List of Operational Stations and Frontline Resources Please provide a complete and up-to-date list of all operational ambulance stations and bases thatoperatefrontline resources.
For each station, include:
- Station name
- Full postal address
- Latitude and longitude
- Types of frontline resources based or routinely operating from that station (e.g., Ambulances, Hazardous Area Response Team (HART), Rapid Response Vehicles, Patient Transport Service vehicles excluded unless they also perform emergency frontline response)
- Any significant specialisms or capabilities associated with the station (e.g., mental health response units, bariatric equipment, urgent care, etc.)
- Please clarify whether the list includes co-located NHS, private partner or clinical commissioning group facilities.
- Critical Care Resources under SAS Dispatch Desk Please provide detailsregardingall critical care resources that are dispatched or coordinated by the SAS critical care desk or equivalent function, including:
- Charitable partner resources (e.g., air ambulances, charity critical care cars, BASICS volunteers) that are taskable via NWAS dispatch
- The name of each resource/organisation
- Operational base location (address and coordinates if available)
- The types of missions/tasks they are activated to support (e.g., prehospital critical care, mechanical circulatory support, retrieval, critical care advice)
- Whether the resource is permanently integrated into SAS dispatch protocols or available on request
- The scope of practice and skill mix of these resources.
Additionally, please provide details on SAS-run Advanced Paramedic Practitioners (APPs) and critical care teams, specifically:
- Team designation (e.g., Critical Care APP, Prehospital Emergency Medicine Team, etc.)
- Base location and coverage area
- Rostered operational hours (if available)
- Any special equipment or capabilities relevant to critical care dispatch
- Response
Q1 - The Scottish Ambulance Service does not hold a bespoke “SAS operational boundary polygon” as requested. SAS provides services across the whole of Scotland (including islands), and our internal mapping ordinarily uses existing authoritative national/administrative boundary datasets rather than a unique SAS polygon.
To enable you to render the SAS area on common mapping platforms, authoritative, open, machine‑readable boundary datasets for Scotland are publicly available, with metadata and multiple formats (including Shapefile, GeoPackage, and exportable GeoJSON):
- The national boundary of Scotland: Ordnance Survey Boundary‑Line (Open Government Licence).
https://osdatahub.os.uk/downloads/open/BoundaryLine
- NHS Health Boards – Scotland (feature service with polygon download; can be exported toGeoJSONand other formats).
https://hub.arcgis.com/datasets/govscot::nhs-health-boards-scotland/explore
Q2 – Please see the attached list of SAS Operation Ambulance Stations along with information on if the location is co-habited. We have applied section 25 of the Freedom of Information Scotland Act 2002 to the request for a list of Scottish Ambulance Service vehicles; this is easily accessible on the Scottish Ambulance Service website - Frequently Asked Questions
Information we are withholding – Section 31(1) (national security and defence)
We are withholding **full postal addresses** for stations and rostered operational hours requested in Q3 under **section 31(1) of FOISA** (national security and defence). Disclosure would be likely to increase the security risk to critical emergency response sites by enabling the creation of detailed geospatial “footprints” of our estate which could be exploited to compromise the Service’s operations or assets.
Under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (FOISA), public authorities are required to provide information that is held at the time of the request. We are not required to create new information, carry out bespoke analysis, or generate reports that do not already exist. If the information requested would require us to extract data from multiple systems, combine it, interpret it, or produce new analysis, this would be classed as information not held in terms of Section 17 of FOISA
Where you have requested the following information:
- Types of frontline resources based or routinely operating from that station (e.g., Ambulances, Hazardous Area Response Team (HART), Rapid Response Vehicles, Patient Transport Service vehicles excluded unless they also perform emergency frontline response)
- Any significant specialisms or capabilities associated with the station (e.g., mental health response units, bariatric equipment, urgent care, etc.)
The Scottish Ambulance Service does not hold a definitive list of the specific frontline resource types or specialisms assigned to each ambulance station. This information is not recorded in a single source. To produce what has been requested, we would need to extract details from multiple operational systems and reports, compare and combine them, and apply professional judgement to determine which capabilities relate to which stations or areas. As this would require us to create new information and carry out bespoke analysis, it is considered information not held under Section 17 of FOISA.
Q3 -
The Scottish Ambulance Service has an advanced practice led Critical Care Desk which identifies incidents that may benefit from the skills and interventions of a critical care resource. There are 2 tiers pre-hospital critical care response with Scotland.
Physician‑led Pre‑hospital Critical Care Teams (“red tier” PHCCT)
Resource / organisation
Base location
Typical mission types
Dispatch integration
Skill mix / scope
Rostered operational hours
EMRS West (ScotSTAR)
ScotSTAR base, Glasgow Airport
Consultant‑led primary response, critical care retrieval/transfer, major incident, clinical advice
Permanently integrated via SAS Specialist Services/Trauma Desk
Consultant (EM/ICM/Anaesthesia) + Retrieval Practitioner (paramedic or nurse, Masters‑level) or registrar
Section 31(1) (national security and defence)
EMRS North (ScotSTAR)
ScotSTAR North, Aberdeen Airport
As above
Permanently integrated
As above
Section 31(1) (national security and defence)
SAS Advanced Practitioners in Critical Care (“yellow tier” enhanced care)
Team designation
Base / coverage area
Typical mission types
Dispatch integration
Scope of practice / skill mix
Rostered operational hours
APCC West (SAS)
Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Dunbartonshire, Renfrewshire
Enhanced care for major trauma/critical illness; single‑crewed RRVs
Permanently integrated; solo responders
Specialist paramedic/nurse, Masters‑level incl. independent prescribing, autonomous practice
Section 31(1) (national security and defence)
APCC South‑East (SAS)
Edinburgh, West/East Lothian, Fife, Forth Valley, Borders
As above
Integrated
As above
Section 31(1) (national security and defence)
APCC North (SAS)
Highlands, Moray, Grampian
As above
Integrated
As above
Section 31(1) (national security and defence)
)
Charitable / partner enhanced care resources coordinated by SAS
Resource / organisation
Base location
Typical mission types
Dispatch integration
Scope of practice / skill mix
Rostered operational hours
Highland PICT (NHS Highland & SAS)
Raigmore Hospital ED, Inverness
Enhanced care/critical care support across Highlands & Moray
Integrated (tasked via SAS desks)
Dual‑clinician team: senior doctor + SAS APCC (paramedic/nurse); expanded meds/surgical capability beyond standard paramedic scope
Section 31(1) (national security and defence)
BASICS Scotland volunteers
Various rural locations
Enhanced support when closest/when delay likely; multi‑casualty support
Coordinated via Alternative Response Desk (or geographic dispatchers when ARD unstaffed)
Doctors, nurses, paramedics with additional pre‑hospital training; equipment via Sandpiper Trust
Volunteers (no fixed roster); availability managed with SAS; public factsheets available
NWAS dispatch: SAS does not use North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) dispatch systems to task Scottish resources. We therefore do not hold information on “charitable partner resources taskable via NWAS dispatch”
It is for this reason we have applied section 17 of the Freedom of Information Scotland Act 2002 as information not held.
Scope of practice and skill mix
EMRS (West/North): Consultant‑delivered pre‑hospital critical care and retrieval (EM/ICM/Anaesthesia), with Retrieval Practitioners; capabilities include advanced airway management, anaesthesia, blood administration and other time‑critical interventions.
Red‑tier PHCCTs (general): SAS guidance describes teams able to deliver advanced analgesia/sedation, airway interventions (including RSI), thoracostomy, and other critical care procedures in pre‑hospital settings.
APCC (SAS): Masters‑educated specialist paramedics/nurses, independent prescribers, autonomous solo responders providing enhanced care beyond standard paramedic scope.
PICT: Dual‑clinician model (senior doctor + APCC) with expanded medication and surgical capability beyond standard paramedic practice. Detailed scope and governance are set out in NHS Highland/PICT public pages.
BASICS: Clinicians (doctors/nurses/paramedics) with additional pre‑hospital training; equipment and scope described in public responder factsheets
More information can be found in the following links:
- **FOI 25‑474 –ScotSTARAmbulances** (published by SAS): lists ScotSTAR ground/air assets and base locations (Glasgow Airport base; Edinburgh RIE campus; Aberdeen Airport), and partner air assets including SCAA bases (Perth and Aberdeen).
- **EMRS (Emergency Medical RetrievalService)** – activation,remit and mission types (adult critical care retrieval and pre‑hospital critical care) via the ScotSTAR desk:
https://www.emrsscotland.org/activation
- **Scottish Neonatal Transport Service (SNTS)** –ScotSTARneonatal bases and 24/7 operation:
https://www.neonataltransport.scot.nhs.uk/for-professionals/rotas-and-scotstar-information/
**Scotland’s Charity Air Ambulance (SCAA)** – publicly listed bases at Perth (Helimed 76) and Aberdeen (Helimed 79):
https://www.scaa.org.uk/our-mission/contact/
- Response Documents
