FOI26-136 ARI Turnaround Times
Freedom of Information Request
- Reference
- FOI26-136 ARI Turnaround Times
- Request Date
- 09 Mar 2026
- Response Date
- 07 Apr 2026
- Information Requested
Please confirm whether I am right in thinking that:
1) If I take Aberdeen Royal Infirmary Turnaround Times "(All)" conveyances and I subtract "(Emergency only)" conveyances, that would equal the number of patient transfers, if any, and all conveyances to ARI's AMIA that day?
2) "(Emergency only)" would not include the "some ambulances" that were "there to pick people up for transfers etc too", referenced by NHS Grampian speaking about Aberdeen Royal Infirmary in the statement contained in this email chain below?
It would help my understanding if "All" conveyances and "Emergency only" conveyances were defined, please.
Please confirm whether SAS specifically records AMIA (101 route) turnarounds at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, or how they can be identified/isolated from existing data.
Is it possible to have sent to me the requested data/comment still outstanding? It includes:
- The single longest ambulance turnaround time at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, for both ED and AMIA, in/on:
- August 2025
- September 2025
- January 2026
- Tuesday February 3 2026
- What the turnaround situation was at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary's AMIA at exactly 7.39pm on Tuesday February 3 2026, including:
-
How many ambulances were stacked outside ED with ED patients waiting for handover to ED?
-
How many SAS patients destined for ED were in the care of SAS personnel in any cohort areas awaiting handover to ED?
-
How many ambulances were stacked outside AMIA with AMIA patients waiting for handover to AMIA?
- How many SAS patients destined for AMIA were in the care of SAS personnel in any cohort areas awaiting handover to AMIA?
- How many emergency ambulances attended ARI on Tuesday February 3 2026 "to pick people up for transfers"?
- How many non-emergency ambulances attended ARI on Tuesday February 3 2026 "to pick people up for transfers"?
- SAS comment on the following: SAS personnel who had been at ARI throughout Tuesday February 3 2026 reported that, at peak, between ED, AMIA, and cohort, a total of 21 patients were waiting for handover to hospital staff. They also reported waits of up to 8 hours outside AMIA. They spoke about one colleague waiting 3.5 hours to move down just one position in the queue, with around half a dozen still to go, outside the ED. And a reporter of ours, at one stage, counted 19 ambulances outside ARI. Sources questioned the sincerity behind the claim that "some ambulances" were "there to pick people up for transfers". And they additionally revealed that, last month, 85 ILTs had no Grampian ambulances available to respond to the critical calls. One insider spoke of a patient lying on the floor for 8 hours with no ambulance to attend, then waiting a further 8 hours outside ED in the stack - the long lie causing multiple problems for the patient. Another insider spoke of hearing about colleagues attending an amber chest pain patient in Aberdeen who died before the crew arrived, having waited two hours - warning it's not the first time someone has died due to stacking at ARI, and it won't be the last. Many SAS employees have claimed that the situation is either no better under the new NHSG chief executive or is even worse.
And lastly, The Press and Journal is requesting limited additional data, please, but note that we're happy to wait a week for it, including:
- For both "(All)" conveyances and "(Emergency only)" conveyances, turnaround data (including number of conveyances, average turnaround, 90th percentile turnaround, AND SINGLE LONGEST TURNAROUND TIME) for:
- Aberdeen Royal Infirmary — October 2025
- Aberdeen Royal Infirmary — November 2025
- Aberdeen Royal Infirmary — December 2025
- Ninewells — January 2026
- Response
If I take ARI Turnaround Times "(All)" conveyances and I subtract "(Emergency only)" conveyances, that would equal the number of patient transfers, if any, and all conveyances to ARI's AMIA that day?
No, we are unable to report on the destination within the hospital of the patient. The 'emergency' and 'other' categories refer to the SAS types of incidents and are not necessarily reflective of the final destination of the patient.
"(Emergency only)" would not include the "some ambulances" that were "there to pick people up for transfers etc too", referenced by NHSG speaking about ARI in the statement contained in this email chain below?
Correct, we only record turnaround times against ARI for patients who's destination is ARI. We do not include those who started their journey at ARI.
It would help my understanding if "All" conveyances and "Emergency only" conveyances were defined, please.
"All" conveyances includes all unscheduled care incidents handled by SAS that were conveyed to ARI. These include, but is not limited to, emergency incidents and those requested by health care professionals through our unscheduled care process.
"Emergency" conveyances is a subset of the above and includes incidents conveyed to ARI which were triaged through our emergency triage system, this includes but is not limited to 999 calls.
Please confirm whether SAS specifically records AMIA turnarounds at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, or how they can be identified/isolated from existing data.
SAS do not record the destination within the hospital and would be unable to isolate these patients from the existing data.
The single longest ambulance turnaround time at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, for both ED and AMIA, in/on: August 2025, September 2025, January 2026, Tuesday February 3 2026
The Scottish Ambulance Service does not hold data in a way that allows us to separate the different ward information for turnaround times. The turnaround times are held at hospital level which has what has been provided.
Please see the attached data sheet, tab 1. This sheet details the total number of conveyances, the average, median, 90th percentile and maximum turnaround times for Aberdeen Royal Infirmary.
The Turnaround time is calculated from when an ambulance arrives at hospital to the point of departure. These turnaround times are affected by a wide range of factors, including ambulance staff cleaning vehicles following patient transportation, supporting the ongoing care of the patient and on occasions providing statements to the police.
What the turnaround situation was at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary's AMIA at exactly 7.39pm on Tuesday February 3 2026, including:
- How many ambulances were stacked outside ED with ED patients waiting for handover to ED?
- How many SAS patients destined for ED were in the care of SAS personnel in any cohort areas awaiting handover to ED?
- How many ambulances were stacked outside AMIA with AMIA patients waiting for handover to AMIA?
- How many SAS patients destined for AMIA were in the care of SAS personnel in any cohort areas awaiting handover to AMIA?
The Scottish Ambulance Service Cannot identify stacked ambulances at the specific time point at 7:39pm or identify departments within the hospital. It is for this reason we have applied section 17 of the Freedom of Information Scotland Act 2002, as information not held.
How many emergency ambulances attended ARI on Tuesday February 3 2026 "to pick people up for transfers"?
For all FOI responses where the number is between 0 and 5, our policy is that we do not provide an exact figure as the numbers are so small that disclosure could risk identifying individuals. In such circumstances, we instead say ‘fewer than five’.
On Tuesday 3 February 2026, fewer than five emergency ambulances attended Aberdeen Royal Infirmary to collect patients for inter‑hospital transfers or discharges.
How many non-emergency ambulances attended ARI on Tuesday February 3 2026 "to pick people up for transfers"?
On Tuesday 3 February 2026, eight non‑emergency ambulances attended Aberdeen Royal Infirmary to collect patients for inter‑hospital transfers or discharges.
This figure is based on completed Patient Transport Service journeys, including discharges and inter‑hospital transfers.
For both "(All)" conveyances and "(Emergency only)" conveyances, turnaround data (including number of conveyances, average turnaround, 90th percentile turnaround, AND SINGLE LONGEST TURNAROUND TIME) for:
Aberdeen Royal Infirmary — October 2025
Aberdeen Royal Infirmary — November 2025
Aberdeen Royal Infirmary — December 2025
Ninewells — January 2026
Tab 2 details ALL call types with the total number of conveyances, the average, median, 90th percentile and maximum turnaround times for the locations and months requested.
Tab 3 – total number of EMERGENCY conveyances, the average, median, 90th percentile and maximum turnaround times for the locations and months requested.
The Turnaround time is calculated from when an ambulance arrives at hospital to the point of departure. These turnaround times are affected by a wide range of factors, including ambulance staff cleaning vehicles following patient transportation, supporting the ongoing care of the patient and on occasions providing statements to the police.
- Response Documents
