Ambulance incident being reviewed

An incident that saw an ambulance sent to an address in Aberdeen, rather than Kirkwall, was “due to human factors” and is currently being reviewed, according to a Scottish Ambulance Service spokesman.

On Saturday, October 18, there was a delay of around 20 minutes in responding to a 999 call to assist a patient in Great Western Road, Kirkwall — a delay caused by an ambulance being sent to Great Western Road, in Aberdeen, by mistake.

The spokesman said that as soon as the error was picked up, the Kirkwall crew responded and the patient was transferred safely to hospital.

He added: “The incident is currently being reviewed and any further failsafe enhancements required to current systems and processes will be implemented. We will be contacting the patient to apologise for any anxiety or discomfort caused by the delay.”