FOI 26-080 Bariatric Specialist Transport Incidents
Freedom of Information Request
- Reference
- FOI 26-080 Bariatric Specialist Transport Incidents
- Request Date
- 13 Feb 2026
- Response Date
- 03 Mar 2026
- Information Requested
I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information Act 2000.
Please provide the following for the last three financial years (or the most recent period available):
The number of incidents involving bariatric patients that required specialist transport, equipment or additional crews.
The total annual cost to the trust for bariatric patient transport.
If possible, please provide the information in spreadsheet format.- Response
The Scottish Ambulance Service does not hold recorded information that identifies, in a reportable form, when specialist bariatric equipment, specialist transport, or additional crews were dispatched for individual incidents.
Determining whether specialist bariatric resources were required or deployed would require a manual review of individual incident records and the exercise of judgement across multiple systems. This would amount to the creation of new information, which the Service is not required to do under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. It is for this reason we have applied section 17 of the Freedom of Information Scotland Act 2002 as information not held.
In line with our duty to provide advice and assistance under section 15 of FOISA, the Scottish Ambulance Service can provide the total number of incidents attended where patient mobility has been recorded as bariatric for the financial years requested.
This information is based on recorded patient mobility indicators and reflects instances where a patient has been identified as bariatric. However, it is important to note that:
- This data does not determine whether specialist bariatric equipment, vehicles, or additional crews were required or deployed.
- Not all bariatric patients require specialist equipment or additional resources.
- The figures should therefore not be interpreted as a measure of specialist bariatric responses.
Please see the attached sheet detailing total number of bariatric patients the Scottish Ambulance Service has attended and conveyed or not conveyed to hospital for the financial years requested.
This information has been provided in two tables as a new clinical system is being phased in. This phased system has been in place since June 24 and involves only portion of Scotland. There is the possibility that that an incident from the Terrapace 3 system could be counted in the Terrapace 2 system and therefore the figures in the table should NOT be added together
The Scottish Ambulance Service have not purchased any Bariatric vehicles or Bariatric equipment.
All vehicles and equipment are identified and endorsed for general use for all patients. Vehicles and equipment are specified taking into consideration the wide range of patients that we Scottish Ambulance provide care for nationally; but are not exclusive to any single patient description.
To further explain, all equipment may be used to provide care for any patient. If an item has a specification that can accommodate larger patients (as many items do as manufacturers enhance their products) it does not exclude the item from being used with any other patient as best suits providing care to all patients nationally.
It is for these reasons that we have applied section 17 of the Freedom of Information Scotland Act 2002 to your entire request as information not held.
The Scottish Ambulance Service does not hold recorded information showing a discrete or separately identifiable total annual cost for bariatric patient transport.
Costs associated with bariatric patients (including staffing, vehicles, equipment and overheads) are not routinely captured or reported separately from wider operational activity. Calculating such costs would require new analysis and assumptions.
Accordingly, this information is not held for the purposes of section 17(1) of FOISA.
- Response Documents
