Thousands of Taxis Used in 2021 to Handle 999 Callouts

According to figures gathered by the BBC, the practice of using taxis for patients following 999 or 111 calls has grown by nearly a quarter in the past year (23%). 

Between April 2021 and January 2022, over 24,000 taxi journeys were made in these circumstances in England. Services in Scotland and Wales posted similar figures.  

This is a significant expense for Ambulance NHS Trusts, with £92m spent on private ambulances and taxis in 2018/19. 

An NHS spokesperson said:  

"These figures account for just 0.3% of ambulance call-outs from April to January. 

"Emergency ambulances are sent to life-threatening 999 calls, and taxis are only used to transport other patients when it is clinically appropriate, and the patient agrees. 

"It remains important that anyone needing emergency care dials 999, and the public use 111 online and local pharmacies for other health issues and advice."

Ambulance Callout Categories 

NHS England clarified that no patients classified as category one (C1) had been taken to the hospital via taxi service. 

There are 4 different categories of call for ambulance responses: C1 through to C5. These are defined as: 

• Category One: Calls from people with life-threatening illnesses or injuries, such as people having a heart attack. 

• Category Two: These are emergency calls which are urgent but not immediately life threatening. 

• Category Three: For urgent calls where treatment could be given by paramedics in your own home. 

• Category Four: Less urgent calls where further investigation may be needed or information can be given over the phone or referrals given to another service such as a GP or pharmacy.  

• Category 5: Non-urgent. 

C1 call-outs were always taken to the hospital by paramedics. C2 callouts were always seen by paramedics first and if the urgency was downgraded, a cab was sometimes called. It was C3 callouts that involved the highest number of taxi journeys. 

The manager of a taxi firm used by the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) interviewed anonymously by the BBC commented: 

"It's very unfair on the customer who needs to get to the hospital. It's also extremely unfair on the driver, because he's got no training to deal with that sort of situation. 

"He's a self-employed taxi driver. His only training is really to drive a car. He's got no first aid training or emergency medical treatment training. He'll probably not even be aware of what he was getting involved in at that particular time." 

While these figures are shocking, it's important to look at them in context. 2021 in England saw an average of between 10,000 – 12,000 incidents where patients were taken to hospital by ambulance, every single day. 

This equates to around 4 million. Although a high number, this actually marks a drop in callouts compared to 2015-16 when 10.7 million journeys were made. And these figures are for England alone. 

There are around 29,000 paramedics covering England and about 35,000 covering the whole of the UK. 

Speaking to ITV News an ambulance worker said she was “embarrassed” at having to order taxis for patients. But due to wait times and staffing issues, there is little other option. 

It's clear that more needs to be done to aid ambulance services as it is unsustainable for workers and for NHS Trust finances.  

Although taxis often provide a lifeline to vulnerable individuals, they should not be relied upon as an addition to emergency services.