FOI 25-052 Orkney First Responders

Freedom of Information Request

Reference
FOI 25-052 Orkney First Responders
Request Date
01 Feb 2025
Response Date
25 Feb 2025
Information Requested

I would like to make a Freedom of Information request concerning provision of first responder services in Orkney's isles. 

 By way of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002, I would like to request the following: 

  1. how many Island Communities Impact Assessments have been undertaken with the regard to the arrangements of providing and/or supporting first responders in Orkney's isles.

1.1 in each instance, please provide the date in which the assessment was completed. 

1.2 in each instance, please provide a copy of the assessment report and any appendixes to it. 

  1. In an August 28, 2024, letter to the leader of Orkney Islands Council, Heather Woodbridge, SAS chief executive Michael Dickson said: "I am happy to share that SAS have undertaken a review of CFRs and volunteer roles we support across Scotland [...]." I would like to request a copy of any and all reports and briefing notes summarising the findings of this review. 
  2. please provide any and all correspondence, sent to and received from, Scottish Government and its ministers regarding first responder services in Orkney's isles from over the past four years (plus any appendixes or attachments to this correspondence).

 

I would also like to suggest, pre-emptively, that I think there is a very strong public interest argument for the disclosure of this requested information. Orkney's political representatives have raised some extremely serious concerns about the current provision of first responders, and the willingness of SAS to take this seriously and improve the situation (I've attached three news articles from The Orcadian outlining these concerns). Leader of OIC Heather Woodbridge has said that there is a "risk to life and limb" (see June 13, 2024 story). After almost two years of engagement with SAS, Councillor Woodbridge said that "we have reached an impasse" and that there is "no realistic prospect of progressing the matter further." 

 

I believe the following public interest considerations will favour disclosure in this case (quoting from para.21 of OSIC's briefing note 'The public interest test in FOISA'): 

  • “Whether disclosure would contribute to ensuring the effective oversight of expenditure of public funds and that the public obtain value of money.” SAS being a public body, it’s failure to pay all isles first responders raises serious concerns about the Orkney public obtaining fairness and value from SAS’s expenditures. 
  • “Whether disclosure keeps the public adequately informed of any danger to public health or safety […].” Some isles have been left without first responders, as teams have stood down over the equal pay issue. Leaving isolated communities without such emergency assistance has been described by Orkney’s representatives as a “risk to life and limb.” 
  • “Whether disclosure would contribute to ensuring that any public authority with regulatory responsibilities is adequately discharging its functions.” OIC representatives have alleged on several occasions that SAS is failing to meet its statutory function by not ensuring an equal service across the isles, and by no paying all isles first responders equally. For example, in a December 14, 2022, letter to Pauline Howie, then OIC chief executive John Mundell said: "Therefore, it is apparent that the SAS is unable to comply with its statutory obligations due to a lack of consistent funding going forward from the Scottish Government" (see attached). 
  • “Whether disclosure would […] reveal malpractice or enable the correction of misleading claims.” The suggested malpractice is covered in the previous point regarding the failure to adhere to statutory responsibilities. I also believe that the disclosure of the requested information would potentially correct misleading claims. SAS has previously claimed it is willing to engage with OIC on this issue, but OIC disagrees with this, saying it has been met with intransigence and excuses (see October 24, 2024, story). I suspect the requested information could provide a more accurate account of what SAS's intentions are on this issue. 
  • Lastly, the commissioner notes that “possible embarrassment” and “potential loss of confidence” are not to be considered by public authorities 
Response

The Scottish Ambulance Service remains committed to providing training and equipment to community first responder and other responder schemes on the ferry linked isles in Orkney. This training will meet nationally agreed clinical standards set out by the Scottish Ambulance Service ensuring community first responders have appropriate training and equipment to respond as an initial response to emergency calls. The Scottish Ambulance Service will always send an ambulance response by road and ferry or air to back up community responders unless there is a GP or Nurse on island who requests that the ambulance response can be stood down as the patient can be safely looked after on the island.  

 

A training and development plan is in place and is being rolled out and delivered by the Scottish Ambulance Service across the ferry linked islands. The delivery of this training has been adjusted to meet the availability of community first responders, co responders and partners on each island. 

 

  1. how many Island Communities Impact Assessments have been undertaken with the regard to the arrangements of providing and/or supporting first responders in Orkney's isles.  
  1. in each instance, please provide the date in which the assessment was completed. 
  1. in each instance, please provide a copy of the assessment report and any appendixes to it. 

There are no community impact assessments for the ferry linked islands. A training and development plan is in place and is being rolled out and delivered by the Scottish Ambulance Service across the ferry linked islands. The delivery of this training has been adjusted to meet the availability of community first responders, co responders and partners on each island.  The Scottish Ambulance Service remains committed to providing training and equipment to community responder and co responder schemes.  This commitment meets nationally agreed clinical standards set out by the Scottish Ambulance Service ensuring community responders and co responders have appropriate training and equipment to respond as an initial response to emergency calls. 

 

  1. In an August 28, 2024, letter to the leader of Orkney Islands Council, Heather Woodbridge, SAS chief executive Michael Dickson said: "I am happy to share that SAS have undertaken a review of CFRs and volunteer roles we support across Scotland [...]." I would like to request a copy of any and all reports and briefing notes summarising the findings of this review.  

A copy of this report is available on the Scottish Ambulance Service’s website - Microsoft Word - 2025-01-31 Volunteer Delivered Services Report 

 

  1. please provide any and all correspondence, sent to and received from, Scottish Government and its ministers regarding first responder services in Orkney's isles from over the past four years (plus any appendixes or attachments to this correspondence).

The Scottish Ambulance Service does not have any correspondence (received or sent) from the Scottish Government regarding the Orkney First Responders for the last four years. 

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