FOI 26-116 SAS's involvement with Private Ambulances
Freedom of Information Request
- Reference
- FOI 26-116 SAS's involvement with Private Ambulances
- Request Date
- 03 Mar 2026
- Response Date
- 10 Mar 2026
- Information Requested
Please can you confirm the following: - Can you please confirm that SAS does not have the power to instruct private ambulance companies or venues to seek permission from SAS control via 999 to convey a patient. In this scenario, the private ambulance provider has a purpose built emergency ambulance which is equipped to frontline standards and staffed by a Paramedic and Technician with emergency driving qualifications. The vehicle is abiding by all legislation and is registered as an ambulance with the relevant authorities. - I am aware of the above instruction being given by an Area Service Manager. Assuming the answer to Q1 is no, what advice does SAS management have for a company who has been put in this position - which channel should be used to complain about this conduct?
- Response
The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) does not regulate or oversee private ambulance providers operating at events or venues. Where a private event organiser has contracted a private ambulance provider to deliver on-site medical or ambulance cover, that provider operates independently of SAS. Decisions relating to the clinical management of patients, including any decision to convey a patient to hospital, remain the responsibility of the private ambulance provider and its staff.
Where a private ambulance provider conveys a patient from a venue or event site to hospital, the decision to use emergency warning equipment (EWE), such as blue lights and sirens, rests with the driver of the vehicle and the organisation operating the ambulance. In doing so, the provider and driver must ensure that their actions comply with all relevant legislation, including the Road Traffic Act 1988 (as amended) and associated road traffic regulations.
SAS has no role in authorising or supervising the use of EWE by private ambulance providers, nor does it create or manage incidents for private ambulance companies for this purpose. Responsibility for determining whether any applicable road traffic exemptions may apply rests with the driver and the organisation operating the vehicle. Should an exemption be relied upon, it would ultimately be for the driver to justify that use in law if required.
The enforcement of road traffic legislation in Scotland is a matter for Police Scotland. Any questions regarding the interpretation or enforcement of road traffic legislation, including the use of emergency warning equipment or the applicability of exemptions, should therefore be directed to Police Scotland.
SAS understands that in other parts of the UK, including England, some private ambulance providers operate under different arrangements, such as registration with the Care Quality Commission or through contractual arrangements with NHS organisations. These arrangements may allow private providers to operate within local systems that create incidents or records within Computer Aided Dispatch (CAD) systems. However, these operational arrangements do not apply in Scotland, where private ambulance providers operating at events or venues do so independently of the Scottish Ambulance Service.
Where a patient or casualty is encountered out with the contracted event or venue area, for example on the public highway or in the street, this falls within the remit of the Scottish Ambulance Service as the statutory emergency ambulance service. In such situations, the appropriate action is to contact the Scottish Ambulance Service via the 999 system.
However, in line with section 15 (duty to provide advice and assistance), SAS can advise that where concerns are raised about the conduct or advice given by an individual SAS employee, these should be directed through SAS’s formal complaints process. This allows the matter to be reviewed appropriately and, where necessary, investigated in line with NHS Scotland complaints handling procedures. - Giving us Feedback
