Trauma cars and Mental Health Officers employed in local authorities: FOI release

Information requested

1. To ask the Scottish Government how many Trauma cars are working with the Ambulance service in all areas of Scotland;

2. To ask the Scottish Government how many Mental Health Officers are employed in local authorities;

3. To ask the Scottish Government the outcome of the Police Scotland six week initiative, tested at Helen Street, Govan in 2017, if this scheme was developed and still exists or any similar schemes that operates throughout the communities of Scotland and in particular here in Renfrewshire.

Response

I have responded to your three questions as follows;

1. The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) advises that it does not refer to any vehicles in its fleet as Trauma Cars. However, I note that in November 2019 Ms Fee submitted a Parliamentary Question which also asked for information about the number of Trauma Cars in the SAS fleet and was provided with information regarding the number of SAS Paramedic Response Units (PRUs) in use at that time.

The SAS advises that there are 81 PRUs in use at the moment, as well as 3 Paramedic Response Motorcycles.

2. The Mental Health Officers (Scotland) Report 2019 reports that there were 703 filled Mental Health Officers posts at the time of publication. A link to that report is attached below; https://data.sssc.uk.com/data-publications/23-mental-health-officers-reports

3. While it is our aim to provide information whenever possible, in this instance we are unable to provide the information that you have requested because an exemption under section 17 (1) (b) of FoISA applies, in that the Scottish Government does not hold the information being requested.

About FOI
The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.