Scottish Ambulance Service apologizes after first responder spreadsheet emailed in error

The Scottish Ambulance Service apologized in early March 2024 after confirming that a spreadsheet holding personal information about community first responders had been sent to the wrong audience by email.

The service said the message went out on January 16, 2024 and that the wrong file, an Excel spreadsheet containing personal details, was attached to it. Community first responders are trained volunteers who attend medical emergencies in their local areas ahead of an ambulance crew. Neither the service nor press coverage identified who received the email, put a figure on how many people appeared in the file, or itemized which data fields it held.

A spokesperson described the email as having been "sent out in error" and said the service acted as soon as it was made aware, opening an investigation and contacting everyone who received the message to apologize and explain how the matter was being handled. The service emphasized that no patient records were involved and that the exposure was limited to staff and volunteer information.

The incident was reported to the Information Commissioner's Office, the UK data protection regulator. As of the March 2024 coverage, the service said the matter was being managed in line with its own policies, and no regulatory outcome had been announced. Teiss noted the service had previously had staff contact details briefly exposed online in 2018.