NHS ambulance services

National Health Service ambulance services provide free at the point of use emergency medical care to any person requiring treatment,

regardless of immigration or visitor status, within the United Kingdom. These services are provided by National Health Services of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The current system comprises 14 NHS organisations: 11 ambulance services trusts cover the separate regions of England and; individual nationwide services cover Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland respectively.

NHS ambulance services are classed as an essential service, the public normally access emergency medical services through one of the valid emergency telephone numbers (either 999 or 112). Additionally, some ambulance services are considering trialing a 999 video calling service, in order to be able to visually assess patients whilst crews are en route.

The work of ambulance services included responsibility for patient transport, but in England this is now often covered by separate contractual arrangements, and often delivered by private providers.

The National Health Service Act 1946 gave county (and county borough) councils in England and Wales a statutory responsibility to provide an emergency ambulance service, although they could contract a voluntary ambulance service to provide this.

In 1977/78 ambulance services in the UK cost about £138m. At that time about 90% of the work was transporting patients to and from hospitals.

The Regional Ambulance Officers' Committee reported in 1979 that:

There was considerable local variation in the quality of the service provided, particularly in relation to vehicles, staff and equipment. Most Services were administered by Local Authorities through their Medical Officer of Health and his Ambulance Officer, a few were under the aegis of the Fire Service, whilst others relied upon agency methods for the provision of part or all of their services.