FOI 26-414 NQP Recruitment 2026

Freedom of Information Request

Reference
FOI 26-414 NQP Recruitment 2026
Request Date
10 Sep 2026
Response Date
07 Oct 2026
Information Requested

Under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, I would like to request the following information relating to the current Newly Qualified Paramedic (NQP) recruitment campaign.  

I understand that interviews are still ongoing; however, I am requesting the information held by the Scottish Ambulance Service at the date this request is processed.  

Please provide:  

  1. The total number of applications received.
  2. The number of applicants by country from which they applied. 
  3. The number of applicants who attended the fitness assessment. 
  4. The number of applicants who passed the fitness assessment. 
  5. The number of applicants who failed the fitness assessment. 
  6. The number of applicants who withdrew their application during the recruitment process.
  7. The target number of NQPs to be recruited by operational region in 2026/27, and a full Scottish total, based on the information held at the time this request is processed. 
Response
  1. The total number of applications received.

The Scottish Ambulance Service received 558 applications for the current NQP recruitment campaign. 

 

 

  1. The number of applicants by country from which they applied. 

The Scottish Ambulance Service does not hold information on the country from which applicants applied. 

The recruitment records distinguish between applicants from Scottish Universities (378) and those educated outside Scotland (180). However, information on the specific country from which applicants educated outside Scotland applied is not recorded. 

 

  1. The number of applicants who attended the fitness assessment. 

407 applicants attended the fitness assessment. 

 

  1. The number of applicants who passed the fitness assessment. 

334 applicants passed the fitness assessment. 

 

  1. The number of applicants who failed the fitness assessment. 

73 applicants failed the fitness assessment. 

 

  1. The number of applicants who withdrew their application during the recruitment process.

51 applicants formally withdrew their application during the recruitment process. 

 

Please note that this figure relates only to candidates who formally withdrew. Additional candidates did not progress through the recruitment process for other reasons, such as failing to attend a fitness assessment or not booking an interview, but these are not recorded as formal withdrawals. 

 

  1. The target number of NQPs to be recruited by operational region in 2026/27, and a full Scottish total, based on the information held at the time this request is processed.

The current agreed Newly Qualified Paramedic vacancy targets for 2026/27 are: 

 

Region 

WTE Target 

North Region 

68.8 

East Region 

73.0 

West Region 

108.8 

Scotland Total 

250.6 
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