Response times for urgent ambulances are poor. In New Zealand every small town has a retained ambulance service that is manned by paid part time volunteers. That system could work in Scotland.
Victoria, Australia have a similar retained service with different levels of volunteers/paid. SAS is risk adverse at a cost to patient safety. Yes digital technology is improving but how do non emergency patients get to hospital that is 1 1/4 hrs away before you even think about ambulance call out - if there is one available.I had to take my husband with a pulmonary embolism myself from Braemar to Aberdeen because the GP needed him there in a hurry. What happens when our GP list around to make that life saving diagnosis....
I have heard reports that because the ambulances are controlled centrally there have been long delays while a local ambulance has been sitting doing nothing. Should be possible to talk directly to someone local in an emergency
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