Ambulances ‘running on empty’ after more than 2,500 single-crew shifts in 2024

The Scottish Government has been warned that ambulances are “running on empty” after figures showed there were 2,503 single-crew shifts in 2024.

A freedom of information request by Scottish Labour found on average, nearly seven staff a day had to crew a shift themselves.

The party said the practice has continued despite the SNP having previously vowed to crack down on it.

In 2008, former first minister Nicola Sturgeon—who was health secretary at the time—asked the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) to ban emergency responders from attending incidents alone.

The Scottish Government said single-crewed ambulance shifts are not routine and only account for a small percentage of all shifts.

But from 2019 to 2023, more than 13,565 single-crew ambulance shifts were recorded.

Scottish Labour said the practice is putting “unbearable pressure” on staff.

Dame Jackie Baillie, the party’s health spokeswoman, said: “A decade-and-a-half after the SNP promised to eradicate single-crew ambulance shifts, it seems they are still happening on a daily basis.

Former first minister Nicola Sturgeon had asked for single ambulance crew shifts to end when she was health secretary in 2008 (Andrew Milligan/PA). PA Media

“Ambulance crew members work very hard, but asking them to attend to life or death situations on their own places unbearable pressure on staff.

“Ambulances are running on empty – Scotland needs a change of direction, starting with our NHS.

“The SNP must ensure the UK Labour Budget dividend is directed to frontline NHS staff.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “Ambulances are not routinely singled-crewed; this only happens in exceptional circumstances, such as short-notice staff absences or a significant increase in demand.

“We continue to support the service to reduce instances of single crewing.

“Our continued increased investment has seen 1,388 staff join SAS, with over 230 joining in 2023/24, and further recruitment underway this year.”

An SAS spokesperson said: “With the expansion of key initiatives aimed at supporting patients to access alternative care, such as the integrated clinical hub and pathway team leading to supporting thousands of patients to remain at home, the use of single crews can be invaluable.

“These single crews represent just 1.6% of all the shifts covered by our staff and are often first on the scene to events such as cardiac arrests, and can provide a valuable initial assessment, instigate treatment for patients and assist in targeting the resources we send.

“We, like other public services, experience short notice unplanned staff absences, and while we make every effort to fill gaps through rostered and relief staff, overtime or our bank staff, when this isn’t possible, we would prefer to use the crews’ expertise for the patients’ benefit rather than not deploy them.”