Seven Homes on Ambulance Blacklist in Scotland

Ambulance crews won't attend at seven addresses in Dumfries and Galloway without police protection.

The homes have been "red-flagged" because of attacks or threats.

Emergency staff attending any of the seven homes must wait for police supervision before responding to a 999 call.

The addresses have been singled out by the ambulance service and police because of previous experiences where emergency service workers have been attacked or threatened.

The figures were revealed after questions from the Scots Tories.

Their Dumfriesshire MP, David Mundell, said: "It is a disgraceful state of affairs when ambulance workers who dedicate their working lives to helping people cannot enter so many homes for fear of their own safety.

"Every employee has the right to work without fear of attack."

The homes are just the tip of the iceberg, as it was revealed there are 437 other similar addresses across the country.

Mr Mundell added: "It is hypocritical of the SNP to boast about crime levels in Scotland reaching a 32-year low when you have over 400 places in Scotland and seven here in Dumfries and Galloway which are quite simply no-go areas for ambulance workers.

"People who threaten, or worse attack, emergency staff should be dealt with in the severest possible way.

"The Scottish Government must act on this immediately for the benefit of the wider public and the workers themselves. At a time when budgets are pressed, we can't afford to have ambulances waiting outside addresses because the occupants are violent."

Meanwhile, the Scottish Ambulance Service have confirmed they are looking at a proposal which would remove the paramedic response car from Dumfries.

A spokesman said it would mean employing another paramedic and then staffing an additional ambulance with the new member of staff and the paramedic from the car.

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