The number of ambulance delays that put patients at risk increased fourfold in 2021 as the service came under unprecedented pressure.

Some 41 significant adverse event reviews were commissioned because of delays in ambulances getting to patients in 2021, around a quarter of which were ordered in December.

In 2020 there were just 11 reviews, including at least nine due to delayed responses.

The figures were released to healthandcare.scot following a freedom of information request.

The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) said turnaround times at hospital A&E departments were an “ongoing serious concern”. It said nearly 600 additional staff were being recruited into the service.

In December the median turnaround stood at more than 37 minutes, up from 30 minutes 42 seconds in December 2019, according to a report to the SAS board. The document said this was ‘an area of significant concern’ and meant crews were spending an extra 8,000 hours waiting at hospitals each month.

The board report said: ‘An increase in median turnaround translates to reduced availability of ambulances to respond to other patients who have made emergency calls. In addition to more time being spent at hospital, tasking crews from hospital rather than tactical deployment points can also negatively impact on the time taken to reach patients.’

The adverse event reviews were reported to a national database set up two years ago. An assessment earlier this year found the system still needed “significant work” to ensure boards were using the same definitions.

Some 97 military personnel are currently supporting the Scottish Ambulance Service until the end of March, as drivers and other support staff.

Another 200 personnel are supporting the vaccine rollout across Scotland until the end of February. NHS Fife said last month that it was assessing the ‘potential earlier release of support from vaccination clinics due to demands…in other areas’. The Scottish government told healthandcare.scot military aid to health boards remains “under continual review”.

A SAS spokesperson said: “Adverse event reviews are established processes to ensure we can identify all of the key contributing factors from across the health and social care systems that led to the outcome so that we can learn from the findings.

“Delays in response can relate to a range of factors but chief amongst these is pressure across the whole health and care system, with ambulance delays at hospitals an ongoing serious concern. We are aware there are occasions when people wait longer than we'd like and we are working hard to improve patient experience.

“Our median response time for our most serious calls is currently 6 minutes 40 seconds and latest figures show that 30-day survival rates for our most seriously ill patients are at their highest ever level. We have also accelerated recruitment through our Demand and Capacity Programme to increase the number of new staff to 566 by March 2022.”

Read more: Rise in single-crew ambulances ‘risks patients’; Excess deaths warning as long waits in A&E surge; Insight: A&E facing winter pressures “all year round”

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