Ambulance delays leave one in three to make their own way to hospital

10 Apr 2023
Willie Rennie MSP

A poll commissioned by the Liberal Democrats has revealed the shocking number of people who were forced to make their own way to hospital as a result of long ambulance waiting times.

The question was asked to those who say they have called 999 for an ambulance over the past twelve months for either themselves or family members.

Across the UK, a third (34%) of adults who say they have called for an ambulance in the last year for either themselves or a family member, say that they made their own way to hospital due to the lengthy waiting time.

This includes one in six (17%) who drove, one in ten (11%) who took a taxi, and even some (6%) who used public transport due to the wait for an ambulance being too long.

Just half (55%) of adults in the poll who called 999 to request an ambulance say that they waited for an ambulance, despite being in need of medical care.

Communities spokesperson Willie Rennie MSP said:

“These frightening figures reveal the horror of the ambulance crisis.

“People in life-threatening situations need to know that someone will be there to help them when they need it. Tragically and despite the best efforts of hard-pressed paramedics, all across Scotland, this is simply not happening.

"Ministers should apologise to every member of the public forced to make their own way to hospital because the ambulance simply couldn’t turn up in time.  

“The Scottish Government have continuously ignored the warnings of ambulance staff. They have also opposed and voted down Scottish Liberal Democrat proposals to tackle the crisis, such as recruiting more paramedics, a staff burnout prevention strategy and an urgent inquiry into the hundreds of avoidable deaths linked to the emergency care crisis,

 “This is a life-or-death issue and the Government just doesn't seem to get it."

This website uses cookies

Like most websites, this site uses cookies. Some are required to make it work, while others are used for statistical or marketing purposes. If you choose not to allow cookies some features may not be available, such as content from other websites. Please read our Cookie Policy for more information.

Essential cookies enable basic functions and are necessary for the website to function properly.
Statistics cookies collect information anonymously. This information helps us to understand how our visitors use our website.
Marketing cookies are used by third parties or publishers to display personalized advertisements. They do this by tracking visitors across websites.
Administrator preview
Live version at www.scotlibdems.org.uk