FOI 26-392 Helimed Incidents in IV Postcode Area
Freedom of Information Request
- Reference
- FOI 26-392 Helimed Incidents in IV Postcode Area
- Request Date
- 31 Aug 2026
- Response Date
- 18 Sep 2026
- Information Requested
I would like to request information held by the Scottish Ambulance Service concerning incidents occurring within the following postcodes in the Poolewe area of Wester Ross: IV22 2LT, IV22 2LS, IV22 2LQ, IV22 2LR, IV22 2LP, IV22 2LN, IV22 2LW, IV22 2LL, IV22 2LJ, IV22 2LA, IV22 2LB, IV22 2LD, IV22 2JP, IV22 2JS, IV22 2JU, IV22 2JX, IV22 2JY, IV22 2JZ, IV22 2LG, IV22 2LH. Please provide, for each financial year from 2015/16 to 2024/25 inclusive:
- The number of incidents within these postcodes to which an SAS Helimed helicopter was tasked or dispatched.
- The number of these incidents at which an SAS Helimed helicopter actually attended the incident location, if this information is recorded.
- The number of these incidents in which the patient was transported by the SAS Helimed helicopter, if this information is recorded.
- If recorded, the number of incidents where the SAS Helimed helicopter was: ◦ stood down before reaching the incident; ◦ cancelled before departure; ◦ cancelled or terminated while en route; or ◦ otherwise did not attend the incident location.
Please provide the information as annual totals for the combined group of postcodes, rather than as individual postcode-level figures.
- Response
Please see the attached spreadsheet which provides the information held for the combined group of postcodes specified in your request. The information covers 1 April 2015 to 31 March 2025 and is presented by financial year.
A separate worksheet identifies the Helimed resources included in the analysis.
- Incidents to which an SAS Helimed helicopter was tasked or dispatched
Please refer to the “Incident Count” column in the attached spreadsheet.
This records the number of incidents to which one or more of the included Helimed resources were allocated. The allocation of a resource does not necessarily mean that it ultimately attended the incident. The spreadsheet also includes a “Resource Count” column. This records the number of individual resources allocated and may differ from the incident count, for example where more than one resource was allocated to the same incident.
- Incidents at which an SAS Helimed helicopter attended
Please refer to the “Attended Incidents” column.
This records the number of incidents to which an included Helimed resource was allocated and was subsequently recorded as having attended.
- Incidents in which the patient was transported by an SAS Helimed helicopter
The Scottish Ambulance Service does not hold this information in the specific form requested; there is not dataset held that allows us to specify if a patient was conveyed by helicopter of by another method. It would take a manual review of each incident and the creation of new information to provide this data. It is for this reason we have applied section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 that the Scottish Ambulance Service does not hold recorded information identifying how many of these patients were transported specifically by an SAS Helimed helicopter.
Under section 15 ‘Advice and Assistance’ we have provided a “Conveyed” column. This provides the nearest equivalent information held. It records the number of incidents where a patient was conveyed, but the data does not identify whether the patient was conveyed by the Helimed resource or by another responding resource, such as a road ambulance. The figures in this column should therefore not be interpreted as the number of patients transported by Helimed.
- Incidents where the SAS Helimed helicopter did not attend
Please refer to the “Not Attended Incidents” column.
This records the number of incidents to which an included Helimed resource was allocated but was subsequently recorded as not attending.
The Scottish Ambulance Service does not hold a breakdown of these incidents into the individual circumstances listed in your request, namely stood down before reaching the incident; cancelled before departure; cancelled or terminated while enroute; or otherwise, did not attend the incident location.
Important Information to consider when interpreting this data
The figures relate to the combined group of postcodes supplied and are provided by financial year.
Figures greater than zero but lower than five have been replaced with “<5”. This is intended to reduce the risk that individuals could be identified from small numbers when the figures are considered alongside the specific geographical area and other information that may be available.
- Response Documents
