Hoax calls wasted greater than 1,700 hours of ambulance service employees time within the final eight years, in response to new figures. A complete of 1,710 hours of useful resource time had been spent coping with malicious calls between January 2014 and the top of September 2022.
The info was launched by the Scottish Ambulance Service to the Liberal Democrats in a freedom of data request. Throughout the 12 months to September 30, simply over 133 hours had been spent on malicious calls.
Scottish Liberal Democrat chief Alex Cole-Hamilton mentioned the ambulance service wanted extra assets amid winter pressures on the NHS.
He mentioned: "Each name handler tied up coping with a malicious name is one who's unavailable to assist save a life elsewhere. The service offers with a whole lot of 1000's calls yearly however these figures present that a small variety of malicious people are conspiring to make their jobs tougher than they should be.
"It has wasted 1,710 hours of their time. I concern this winter would be the hardest winter the NHS and its employees have ever identified. The Scottish Authorities wants to teach the general public concerning the penalties of losing name handlers' time. They need to additionally give the ambulance service a direct injection of assets and capability to deal with the lengthy winter forward."
The Scottish Authorities mentioned inappropriate, malicious or nuisance callers will probably be reported to the police, whereas an extra £45 million has been allotted to the ambulance service over the subsequent 12 months.
A spokesman mentioned: "We strongly condemn hoax or malicious calls to our emergency providers. These aren't victimless pranks they usually can doubtlessly distract and divert important assets and a spotlight away from those that are in life-threatening conditions.
"Our continued elevated funding has seen a document variety of further employees be part of the Scottish Ambulance Service in 2021/22, with additional recruitment additionally underneath manner."
A Scottish Ambulance Service spokesperson mentioned: "Anybody who calls 999 with out a real want is doubtlessly placing lives in danger by tying up worthwhile assets that might be wanted to answer a life-threatening name. Subsequently, malicious and hoax callers will probably be reported to the police."
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