Publication Scheme
Under Section 19 of the Freedom of Information Act 2000, South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust has a legal duty to adopt and maintain a Publication Scheme for the publication of the Trust's information. Before considering whether to make a FOI request we would encourage you to review what information is already available through the publication scheme on this website.
How we fit into the NHS structure
How we fit into the NHS structure?
NHS Constitution
The constitution is one of the most important documents within any foundation trust and all foundation trusts are required to have one. A foundation trust’s constitution is distinct from the overarching NHS Constitution, and the two documents cover different subjects.
- The NHS Constitution summarises the rights to which patients, public and staff are entitled, includes pledges which the NHS is committed to achieve, and outlines the responsibilities that the public, patients and staff owe to one another to ensure that the NHS operates fairly and effectively. It operates across England (as Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are responsible for developing their own health policies) and the NHS Constitution is not affected by a foundation trust’s constitution.
- South Western Ambulance Service Foundation Trust's Constitution contains detailed information about how our trust will operate. It sets out, for example, our foundation trust’s membership area, gives information on the various membership constituencies, and determines the size and composition of the board of directors and the council of governors. It also prescribes the rules by which any election to the council of governors is to be conducted.
- All constitutions must comply with statutory requirements (those set out in legislation, such as the National Health Service Act 2006 and the Health and Social Care Act 2012) and therefore some of the content is consistent across all foundation trusts. Legislation also specifies a number of items that must appear within all foundation trust constitutions.
- Any amendments to the constitution require the approval of both the board of directors and the council of governors.
Information relating to key organisations with we work in partnership with
- Who we work with
- Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE) Useful documents
- UNISON - the Public Service Union
- South Western Ambulance and Allied Health UNISON branch
Organisational Structures
Location and contact details for all public-facing departments
- Get in touch
- Press office
- Map (please note ambulance premises are not accessible to the public with the exception of our Trust Headquarters in Exeter)
What we spend and how we spend it
Below you will find financial information relating to projected and actual income and expenditure, procurement, contracts and financial audit.
Financial statements, budgets and variance reports
Annual Reports and Quality Accounts
Latest publication
Previous publications
- Annual Report 2021-22
- Quality Account 2021-22
- Annual Report 2020-21
- Quality Account 2020-21
- Annual Report 2019-20
- Quality Account 2019-20
- Annual Report and Accounts 2018-19
- Quality Account 2018-19
- Annual Report and Accounts 2017-18
- Quality Account 2017-18
- Annual Report and Accounts 2016-17
- Quality Account 2016-17
- Annual Report and Accounts 2015-16
- Quality Account 2015-16
- Annual Report 2014-15
- Quality Account 2014-15
- Annual Report 2013-14
- Quality Account 2013-14
- Annual Report 2012-13
- Quality Account 2012-13
- Annual Report 2011-12
- Quality Account 2011-12
- Annual Report and Quality Accounts 2010-11 - Foundation Trust
- Annual Report and Quality Accounts 2010-11
- Annual report 2009-10 and Annual Accounts 2009-10
- Annual Report 2008-09 and Annual Account 2008-09
- Annual Report 2007-08 and Annual Account 2008-09
- Annual Report 2007-08
- Annual Report 2006-07
- Westcountry Ambulance Service and Dorset Ambulance Service Annual Report 2005-06
- Dorset Ambulance Service Annual Report 2004-05
- Westcountry Ambulance Service Annual Report 2004-05
Great Western Ambulance Service Annual Reports and Accounts
- Annual report and accounts 2012-13 (1 April 2012 to 31 January 2013)
- Quality account 2011-12 and Quality account 2011-12
- Annual report 2010-11, Annual accounts 2010-11 and Quality Account 2010-11
- Annual Accounts 2009-10 and Quality Account 2009-10
- Annual report and accounts 2008-09
- Annual report and accounts 2007-08
- Annual report and accounts 2006-07
Expenditure over 25K
Please note that this information is updated on a quarterly basis; please be patient and check back in the future if the file you are interested in has not yet been published
- March 24
- February 24
- January 24
- December 23
- November 23
- October 23
- September 23
- August 2023
- July 2023
- June_2023
- May_2023
- April_2023
- March 2023
- February 2023
- January 2023
- December 2022
- November 2022
- October 2022
- September 2022
- August 2022
- July 2022
- June 2022
- May 2022
- April 2022
- March 2022
- February 2022
- January 2022
- December 2021
- November 2021
- October 2021
- September 2021
- August 2021
- July 2021
- June 2021
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
- February 2020
- January 2020
- December 2019
- November 2019
- October 2019
- September 2019
- August 2019
- July 2019
- June 2019
- May 2019
- April 2019
- March 2019
- February 2019
- January 2019
- December 2018
- November 2018
- October 2018
- September 2018
- August 2018
- July 2018
- June 2018
- May 2018
- April 2018
- March 2018
- February 2018
- January 2018
- December 2017
- November 2017
- October 2017
- September 2017
- August 2017
- July 2017
- June 2017
- May 2017
- April 2017
- March 2017
- February 2017
- January 2017
- December 2016
- November 2016
- October 2016
- September 2016
- August 2016
- July 2016
- June 2016
- May 2016
- April 2016
- March 2016
- February 2016
- January 2016
- December 2015
- November 2015
- October 2015
- September 2015
- August 2015
- July 2015
- June 2015
- May 2015
- April 2015
- March 2015
- February 2015
- January 2015
- December 2014
- November 2014
- October 2014
- September 2014
- August 2014
- July 2014
- June 2014
- May 2014
- April 2014
- March 2014
- February 2014
- January 2014
- December 2013
- November 2013
- October 2013
- September 2013
- August 2013
- July 2013
- June 2013
- May 2013
- April 2013
- March 2013
- February 2013
- January 2013
- December 2012
- November 2012
- October 2012
- September 2012
- August 2012
- July 2012
- June 2012
- May 2012
- April 2012
- March 2012
- February 2012
- January 2012
- December 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- April-Sept 2010
Agency and third party expenditure
Information on agency and third party expenditure can be found here.
Staff and Board members' allowances and expense
- Expenses Claims Analysis - April 2020 to March 2021
- Expenses Claims Analysis - April 2020 to September 2020
- Expenses Claims Analysis - April 2019 to March 2020
- Expenses Claims Analysis - April 2018 to June 2018
- Expenses Claims Analysis - April 2017 to March 2018
- Expenses Claims Analysis - April 2016 to March 2017
- Expenses Claims Analysis - April 2015 to March 2016
- Expenses Claims Analysis - April 2014 to March 2015
- Expenses Claims Analysis - April 2013 to March 2014
- Expenses Claims Analysis - April 2012 to March 2013
- Expenses Claims Analysis - April 2011 to March 2012
- Expenses Claims Analysis - April2010 to March 2011
Financial audit reports
Staff pay and grading structures
Details of Chairman and Board remuneration can be found in our Annual Reports.
Procurement
Find out more information here.
List and value of contracts awarded
What our priorities are and how we are doing
Strategies and plans, performance indicators, audits, inspections and reviews.
Annual Reports
Annual Patient Experience Report
Annual reports and accounts 2020-21
Safeguarding annual report 2020-21
Safeguarding annual report 2021-22
Targets, Aims and Objectives
Performance against targets (KPI)/performance management information
https://www.england.nhs.uk/statistics/statistical-work-areas/ambulance-quality-indicators/
Corporate performance reports can be read here
Reports by regulatory organisations e.g. Care Quality Commission and NHS England
https://www.cqc.org.uk/sites/default/files/new_reports/AAAH3969.pdf (CQC Inspection Report - 26 June to 18 July 2018)
CQC NHS 111 quality report (June 2016)
NHS England root cause analysis investigation report - William Mead (May 2016)
Patient Safety
The South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) has commissioned, with the support of the then Clinical Commissioning Groups and NHS England, a Patient Safety Incident Investigation (PSII), into the wider system pressures influencing NHS ambulance response times in the South West of England.
The PSII report is underpinned by investigation of 49 patient-safety-incidents which occurred between 1 December 2021 and 31 May 2022. Based on its findings the report makes a series of recommendations for SWASFT, the Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) and their system partners in the NHS and social care, as well as NHS England, to act upon.
The full report is available here.
Addendum (1) to the Patient Safety Incident Investigation (PSII) Report – Investigation to examine the wider system pressures influencing NHS ambulance response times in the South West Region of England is available here.
How we make decisions
Board papers - agenda, supporting papers and minutes
Our Board papers can be found here.
Our priorities and procedures
Current written protocols, policies and procedures for delivering our services and responsibilities.
Policies and procedures relating to the conduct of business and the provision of our services
Infection Prevention and Control Information
Capacity, Consent, De-escalation and Safe Holding Policy
Frequent Caller Management Policy
Policies and procedures relating to Human Resources including recruitment and employment policies, Equality and Diversity Policy
Modern Slavery Act - Trust Statement
Equality Diversity and Inclusion Policy
Performance and Development Policy
Recruitment and Selection Policy
Standing financial procedures/instructions
Standing Financial Instructions
Complaints and other customer service policies and procedures
You can contactus us and make a complaint here.
Data protection/records management/Caldicott Guardian
Making a Subject Access Request
GDPR privacy notice for employees
GDPR privacy notice for patients
Green Plan 2021-2024
Lists and registers
Information held in registers required by law and other lists and registers relating to the functions of our organisation.
Any information our organisation is currently legally required to hold in publicly available registers
FOI Disclosure Logs
Since April 2017 we have published the full response to all FOI requests received. Prior to that date full responses can be requested by making a FOI request through our standard FOI request procedures.
SWASFT disclosure logs
- Disclosure log 2017-18
- Disclosure log 2016-17
- Disclosure log 2015-16
- Disclosure log 2014-15
- Disclosure log 2013-14
- Disclosure log 2012-13
- Disclosure log 2011-12
- Disclosure log 2010-11
GWAS disclosure logs
Until 1 February 2013 the geographic area now covered by SWASFT was previously covered by two different organisations. Ambulance services in Cornwall, Devon, Dorset and Somerset were provided by SWASFT and services in Avon, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire were provided by the Great Western Ambulance Service (GWAS).
Freedom of information requests received before the 1 February 2013 were processed separately by each organisation. GWAS became part of SWASFT on 1 February 2013 so any requests received from this date onward relating to any part of the new larger trust area appear on the SWASFT disclosure log.
The services we offer
Additional information
Meetings with pharmaceutical companies and other medical suppliers
Meetings of this nature happen on an infrequent ad-hoc basis. If you have a specific enquiry of this nature, please contact Information.Governance@swast.nhs.uk in the first instance.