FOI 26-208 Private Company Usage
Freedom of Information Request
- Reference
- FOI 26-208 Private Company Usage
- Request Date
- 29 Apr 2026
- Response Date
- 27 May 2026
- Information Requested
I am writing to request information under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. I would like to
request the following information regarding the Scottish Ambulance Service’s use of private sector
providers:
1. The total number of private companies currently contracted or otherwise used by the Scottish
Ambulance Service to support its operations.
2. A list of these private companies, where possible.
3. The type of services each private company provides (for example: patient transport, emergency
response support, event cover, or other services).
4. The total annual expenditure on private companies for the most recent financial year available.
5. Any policies or guidelines governing when and how private companies are utilised.- Response
The Scottish Ambulance Service no longer has contracts with Private Ambulance providers. For the purposes of this FOI response, we have considered the use of private taxi companies within scope of this request.
Q1 – There are 17 private companies currently used to support the transportation of clinically suitable patients.
Q2 - The Service can provide the following list of taxi service suppliers:
· Aberdeen Taxis
· Express Taxis
· Perth Radio Taxi
· Alpha Taxis
· Kininmonth Cabs Ltd
· Portsoy Taxis Ltd
· Central Taxis – Aberdeen
· Mcleans Taxis Ltd
· Rainbow City Taxis Limited
· Central Taxis – Edinburgh
· Moray Taxis
· Rainbow Taxis
· Computer Cab Ltd (Aberdeen)
· NHS A&A (via Phoenix Taxis)
· Tele Taxis
· East Kilbride
· Penny Cars
Q3 - These companies are taxi service providers who are contracted at a regional Health Board level. The Scottish Ambulance Service has permission to utilise these services for the transportation of clinically suitable patients.
The Scottish Ambulance Service will always dispatch an ambulance for patients who require an ambulance intervention and/or monitoring on route to hospital.
Taxis are only arranged after clinical assessment through our Integrated Clinical Hub or clinicians at scene, who have identified that a patient requires further assessment at hospital, it is safe and appropriate for the patient to travel by this method and not necessary for an emergency ambulance to transport them to hospital.
Since January 2024, use of taxis to convey patients to hospital accounted to 0.7% of all incidents managed by the Scottish Ambulance Service.Q4 - For the most recent financial year available, the Scottish Ambulance Service can confirm that the total expenditure on these private transport providers was £87,780.
Q5 – Please see the attached Taxi Guidance detailing the utilisation of Taxi’s
- Response Documents
