New information obtained under the Freedom of Information Act revealed between the last quarter of 2020/21 and the second quarter of 2020 the number of single crew ambulance shifts soared from 468 to 797.

Critics warn that single crewed ambulances pose a risk to patient wellbeing, leaving patients in the back of the ambulance without assistance while the lone crew member drives. In 2008, then-health secretary Nicola Sturgeon pledged to “eliminate” the practice, describing it as an “issue of deep concern”