As part of a UK Defence Journal series examining how Scottish public sector organisations support staff with links to the Armed Forces, the Scottish Ambulance Service provides insight into how those commitments operate within a national emergency medical service.
In response to a Freedom of Information request, the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) said it does not hold a central record identifying staff who belong to the Armed Forces Community. This includes reservists, veterans, service leavers, cadet force adult volunteers and family members of serving personnel. The organisation issued a formal “not held” response under section 17 of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act, indicating that Armed Forces status is not captured as a workforce category within its HR systems.
The response forms part of a wider effort to understand how public bodies identify and support members of the Armed Forces Community in practice, and how commitments under the Armed Forces Covenant translate into workplace arrangements across different sectors. In the case of the Scottish Ambulance Service, the absence of central workforce data means the organisation cannot quantify how many employees have Armed Forces connections.
Network engagement and workforce visibility
Although the organisation does not maintain a central record of Armed Forces Community staff, it confirmed that it operates an internal Armed Forces Network. The network is open to veterans, reservists, service leavers and family members of Armed Forces personnel, as well as staff who wish to support the community more broadly.
Because participation in the network is voluntary and does not require staff to disclose their personal connection to the Armed Forces, the organisation does not hold detailed information on the composition of its membership. As a result, the network functions primarily as a space for engagement and support rather than a mechanism for workforce monitoring.
This approach reflects a model seen elsewhere across operational public bodies, where engagement with Armed Forces issues often develops through staff networks and peer support rather than through formal reporting systems. In environments characterised by shift work, dispersed teams and frontline operational roles, support structures frequently evolve through internal communities rather than central registration processes.
Reservist leave and operational data
While the Scottish Ambulance Service does not record the wider Armed Forces Community within its workforce data, it does hold information on reservist leave taken by employees. These records are captured through absence management systems and provide a partial view of how military commitments intersect with civilian employment.
Between 2022 and 2025, the service recorded reservist leave taken by 166 individual staff members. During that period, employees accumulated a total of 12,976.5 hours of reservist leave.
Annual figures show that 45 staff recorded reservist leave in 2022, accounting for 3,300.6 hours. In 2023, 38 staff recorded 2,719.69 hours of leave. The number increased to 51 staff in 2024, representing 4,800.11 hours of absence linked to reservist duties. In 2025, 32 staff recorded 2,156.15 hours.
These figures provide an indication of ongoing reservist participation within the service, even though the organisation does not maintain a broader dataset covering veterans or other Armed Forces Community groups. The data is recorded through operational absence categories rather than through dedicated Armed Forces workforce monitoring.
Organisational perspective
The Scottish Ambulance Service said its support for Armed Forces personnel is reflected both internally and through organisational recognition under national schemes.
In a statement to UK Defence Journal, a spokesperson said the service has achieved the Ministry of Defence’s Gold Award under the Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme, the highest level of recognition available for employers supporting the Armed Forces Community.
“At the Scottish Ambulance Service, we are committed to supporting members of the Armed Forces Community. SAS has achieved a Gold Award for the Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme in recognition of this commitment and have a dedicated internal staff network for members of the Armed Forces Community. This includes veterans, reservists, family members of Armed Forces personnel, and anyone with an interest in supporting this community.”
The organisation confirmed that reservists employed by the service are entitled to two weeks of paid leave each year to undertake military training. According to the service, this reflects the value placed on reservists within the workforce and the additional skills and experience they bring into the organisation.
“Reservists are offered two weeks paid leave as SAS recognises the benefits that come from having them in our organisation and the valuable training that they receive. In addition to paid leave, our veterans and reservists also give up their time freely to support community engagement and key events, such as Remembrance.”
Understanding the limits of central data
The Scottish Ambulance Service case illustrates how support for the Armed Forces Community can exist within organisational culture and policy even where workforce data is not collected centrally. While the service cannot provide a headline figure for staff with Armed Forces connections, the reservist leave data offers a partial indicator of participation within the workforce.
As with several other organisations examined in the series, the absence of a central dataset reflects how Armed Forces-related information is captured in practice. In many operational services, HR systems record specific employment arrangements such as reservist leave, while broader personal connections to the Armed Forces remain voluntary disclosures managed through informal networks.
A further case within the series
This article forms part of Armed Forces at Work in Scotland, a UK Defence Journal reporting series examining how Scottish public sector organisations support members of the Armed Forces Community within their workforce. Drawing on Freedom of Information disclosures, internal guidance and organisational comment, the series aims to present a comparative picture of how support operates across different public bodies.
The Scottish Ambulance Service adds another operational perspective to the developing dataset. Its reliance on staff networks, combined with reservist leave data captured through operational systems, illustrates a model where support is delivered through practical arrangements and organisational culture rather than through comprehensive workforce monitoring.
Future articles will examine how other organisations approach similar issues, including those that maintain more detailed central records or rely more heavily on local management structures. Together, the series aims to show how different organisational models shape visibility and support for the Armed Forces Community across Scotland’s public sector.
