FOI 26-300 SAS Estates Department
Freedom of Information Request
- Reference
- FOI 26-300 SAS Estates Department
- Request Date
- 07 Jul 2026
- Response Date
- 22 Jul 2026
- Information Requested
I am writing to request support with a short estates benchmarking exercise across UK ambulance services.
We are reviewing the capacity, structure and scope of ambulance estates teams to help inform strategic planning, workforce resilience and delivery capacity. I would be grateful if you could provide the following information for your organisation.
- The total WTE/FTE establishment for your estates and facilities function as at 31 March 2026.
- The current WTE/FTE in post, including vacancies.
- A breakdown of roles by broad category, where available:
- estates strategy and planning
- capital projects
- property and lease management
- hard facilities management
- soft facilities management
- statutory compliance
- sustainability / net zero
- administration / business support
- other estates-related roles.
- Please indicate whether services are delivered mainly in-house, outsourced or through a mixed model.
- The number of operational and non-operational sites supported by the estates function.
- The approximate annual capital programme value supported by the team.
- The latest recorded backlog maintenance value, if held.
- Any major estates transformation programmes currently being supported by the team.
Where exact figures are not held in this format, a reasonable nearest available breakdown would be very helpful. If it is easier, I would be grateful for a copy of the relevant estates structure chart with WTE/FTE and vacancies shown.
- Response
- The total WTE/FTE establishment for your estates and facilities function asat31 March 2026
The total establishment for the Scottish Ambulance Service Estates and Facilities function as at 31 March 2026 was 12.0 WTE.
- 2. The current WTE/FTE in post, including vacancies
As at 31 March 2026, the Scottish Ambulance Service had 12.0 WTE in post within the Estates and Facilities function. There were no vacancies at that time.
- A breakdown of roles by broad category
Please see the attached spreadsheet which provides a breakdown of Estates and Facilities roles by category.
- Pleaseindicatewhether services are delivered mainly in-house, outsourced or through a mixed model
The Scottish Ambulance Service operates a mixed delivery model. Routine and reactive maintenance services are outsourced to external contractors, while all other Estates and Facilities functions are delivered in-house.
- The number of operational and non-operational sites supported by the estates function
The Estates and Facilities function supports a total of 167 sites, comprising:
Site Type
Number
Ambulance Stations
142
Workshops
13
Ambulance Control Centres
3
Regional Headquarters
6
Disaster Recovery Centre
1
ScotSTAR Bases
2
Total
167
All of the above sites are operational locations. The figures include co-located premises where Estates and Facilities support is provided.
- The approximate annual capital programme value supported by the team
The value of the capital programme supported by the Estates and Facilities team varies from year to year. For the financial year 2025/26, the capital programme value was approximately £1,438,796.
- The latest recorded backlog maintenance value, if held
The latest recorded backlog maintenance value held by the Scottish Ambulance Service is £12,091,245.
- Any major estates transformation programmes currently being supported by the team
The principal estates transformation programme currently being supported by the team is the Glasgow South Replacement Project, which forms part of the Service's Strategic Assessment Programme.
Other ongoing projects primarily consist of minor refurbishment works and property condition improvement projects.
- Response Documents
