Mid Argyll ‘likely’ to get more ambulance staff

Mid Argyll could be getting additional frontline ambulance personnel as the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) recruits hundreds more staff.

In response to its Demand and Capacity Programme, supported by £20 million from the Scottish Government, across Scotland an additional 540 frontline staff have been recruited this financial year.

These include 414 technicians, 25 paramedics, 58 newly-qualified paramedics, 23 advanced practitioners and 20 ambulance care assistants.

Additional ambulances have also been delivered.

Seven new satellite ambulance stations have been set up, of which six are co-located with the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

Scottish Ambulance Service chief executive Pauline Howie said: ‘With increased demand for our services, it’s vital we introduce extra resources and staffing. These new staff will complement our existing staff who have done an incredible job before and throughout the pandemic.’

Concerns about ambulance cover have grown following a spate of cases where patients have endured lengthy waits for ambulances. In one case in Mid Argyll, an elderly man waited 21 hours to be taken for specialist treatment in Glasgow while suffering a suspected heart attack. Another Ardrishaig heart attack victim was told there were no ambulances available after his distraught family dialled 999. In the end a neighbour drove him to hospital.

In light of these concerns, the Argyllshire Advertiser asked about specific additional resources to be allocated to Mid Argyll.

A Scottish Ambulance Service spokesperson responded: ‘We will be introducing three additional posts to Argyll and recruitment is under way for nine new staff in Campbeltown. For Mid Argyll, we are re-aligning rosters to better meet demand. Argyll will also benefit from changes to rosters which will eliminate on-call working. This has already been implemented in Oban and we have funding to eliminate on-call working in Campbeltown.’

The Scottish Ambulance Service later said that while the location within Argyll of the three new recruits is still to be determined, it is ‘likely’ Mid Argyll will receive one or more of those.