Scottish Ambulance 999 Response Pilot Scheme

GMB Scotland Welcomes Scottish Ambulance 999 Response Pilot Scheme

GMB Scotland has today (Friday 30 September) welcomed confirmation by the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) that a new 999 response system will be piloted in the first major change to time based targets in over forty years. 

Under the pilot, which will run for a twelve month period, emergency calls will be prioritised to deal more quickly with immediately life threatening incidents such as cardiac arrests or road traffic incidents.

GMB believes the pilot scheme could help ease the massive pressures that have been growing on staff, with 12 hour shifts becoming a regular occurrence and service demands forcing staff to forgo rest breaks and vehicle checks.

GMB Scotland Organiser Karen Leonard said, “The Scottish Ambulance Service is working on the absolute bare bones after years of under-resource while the working environment has become more challenging for our members. 

Excessive working hours have become the rule rather than the exception for many of our members so this pilot could help ease the congestion that has become a barrier to many staff completing other aspects of their work or taking sufficient rests periods.

We also have to make sure that we are striking the right balance between priority of need and sufficient provision and ultimately that boils down to proper investment from the Scottish Government.

However, it is right to explore best practice initiatives that can help our service function as effectively as possible which is why we welcome this pilot and we will work with the SAS to assess its progress.”

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Contact: GMB Scotland Organiser Karen Leonard on 07718 112031 or Peter Welsh, GMB Scotland Communications, on 07976 447077.