Six houses in Highland flagged up as dangerous for ambulance crews

SIX addresses across the Highlands have been identified as no-go areas for unsupported ambulance crews it has been revealed.

Figures obtained by the Scottish Conservatives under the Freedom of Information Act showed that 437 homes across Scotland were deemed to be too dangerous for paramedics to enter without police protection.

The actual location of the six addresses in the Highlands cannot be disclosed due to data protection rules and the Scottish Ambulance Service said it could only break down figures for each NHS region and not for individual towns.

A spokesman for the service said that the safety of its staff is paramount and a number of measures are in place to protect them.

"All crews are given training in management of aggression and how to undertake a full risk assessment on arrival at scene to establish if there is any potential danger," he said.

"If any ambulance crews feel that their safety may be compromised, they are instructed to hold nearby the scene and await support from the police, or additional ambulance crews.

"As a further protective measure, addresses where there have been previous incidents of violence or threatening behaviour towards staff are flagged in control rooms.

"This means that if a 999 call comes in from a flagged address, dispatch staff can request additional police support."

Greater Glasgow and Clyde had the highest number of no-go areas with 126, with Lothian at 85.

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