Andrew Logan

(b) that there is a need to take steps to ensure that all staff at the Ambulance Control Centre of Scottish Ambulance Centre are familiar with, and understand the importance of complying with, the protocol in force in respect of procedure when an urgent call will not be dealt with within the required timescale;

It seems to me, therefore, that steps should be taken to ensure that staff are fully aware that, irrespective of the time which has passed since the call was initiated, and irrespective of shift patterns of out of hours GPs, if an urgent call is not going to be attended to within the stipulated timescale, the procedure set out in any protocol in force at the time must be followed, and in particular the ordering GP or ordering authority must be contacted.

Accordingly, it seems to me that steps ought to be taken to ensure that all staff are clearly aware of circumstances in which a call should be upgraded, or in which an upgrade should be considered, and by whom any such upgrade should be effected or considered.