FOI 26-460 What3Words
Freedom of Information Request
- Reference
- FOI 26-460 What3Words
- Request Date
- 02 Oct 2026
- Response Date
- 07 Oct 2026
- Information Requested
Please send me the following information:1. The trust's policy and procedure for plotting the location of addresses when a caller cannot provide a postcode
2. Whether the trust allows callers to alert the trust to their location using the "What3Words" system
3. The number of complaints or concerns the trust has received that mention "What3Words" in 2024, 2025, and to date in 2026 (or by financial year, if that is how the data are compiled)
- Response
1. The trust's policy and procedure for plotting the location of addresses when a caller cannot provide a postcode
The Scottish Ambulance Service does not hold a specific policy or procedure covering the plotting of locations where a caller cannot provide a postcode. However, we can advise that our call handling systems provide a number of methods to identify and verify locations without requiring a postcode.
Within the Command and Control (C3) system, locations can be searched using information such as:
- feature name;
- street number;
- street name; and
- town.
The C3 system also provides options to override a location using either free-text location details or
free-text location details with coordinates. This functionality may be used where a conventional address is unavailable, for example at remote outdoor locations.
In addition, Ambulance Control Centres have access to Emergency Locate, a separate system which can send a text message to a caller. If the caller selects the link provided, GPS coordinates and location information are returned to the control room. Emergency Locate operates independently of the C3 system.
For 999 calls made from a landline, BT EISEC information may also provide the registered address associated with the telephone number.
For mobile callers, Advanced Mobile Location (AML) technology may provide an estimated location based on the mobile network and device location data. This information assists call handlers but does not in itself provide a precise responding address.
2. Whether the trust allows callers to alert the trust to their location using the "What3Words" system
The Scottish Ambulance Service are able to accept What3Words to help pinpoint a location.
3. The number of complaints or concerns the trust has received that mention "What3Words" in 2024, 2025, and to date in 2026 (or by financial year, if that is how the data are compiled)
The Scottish Ambulance Service does not hold recorded information on the number of complaints or concerns that mention "What3Words".
Complaints are not categorised or indexed in a way that records whether What3Words was referenced. To identify relevant cases, the Service would need to manually review individual complaint records and assess whether What3Words was mentioned and, if so, whether it was relevant to the complaint or concern raised.
This information is not held in a recorded form. Responding to the request would require the creation of new information through the application of analysis, interpretation, and judgement to existing records. Under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, public authorities are only required to provide information that they hold at the time a request is received.
In terms of section 17(1) of FOISA, the Scottish Ambulance Service does not hold the information requested.
