South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust logo

Welcome to SWASFT

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.

Category/Description Type of information available Link/details

Who we are and what we do

Organisational information, structures, locations and contacts.

How we fit into the NHS structure
Organisational Structures
Lists of and information relating to key organisations with which we work in partnership with.
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.

Senior executives and management board/governing body members
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

Financial information relating to projected and actual income and expenditure, procurement, contracts and financial audit.

Financial statements, budgets and variance reports
Staff and Board members' allowances and expenses

Financial audit reports
Staff pay and grading structures Details of Chairman and Board remuneration can be found in our Annual Reports.
Funding (including endowment funds)
Details of contracts currently being tendered
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 Report

Annual Patient Experience Report

Annual Report and Accounts 1 April 2022 - 31 March 2023

Quality Account 2022-23

Quality Account 2021-22

Quality Account 2020-21

Safeguarding annual report 2021-22

Safeguarding annual report 2020-21

Annual business and/or commissioning plan

Targets, Aims and Objectives

https://www.england.nhs.uk
/urgent-emergency-care
/improving-ambulance-services/arp/

(Ambulance Response Programme)

    Performance against targets (KPI)/performance management information

    https://www.england.nhs.uk
    /statistics/statistical-work-areas
    /ambulance-quality-indicators/

    (Ambulance Quality Indicators)

    Corporate Performance reports

    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
    Audit reports delivered at board/governing body level
    Service User Surveys
    Privacy impact assessments

    How we make decisions

    Decision making processes and records of decisions.

    Board papers - agenda, supporting papers and minutes

    Board papers

    Patient and public engagement strategy
    Public consultations

    Our policies 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

    Capacity, Consent, De-escalation
    and Safe Holding Policy

    Safeguarding policy

    Frequent Caller Management Policy

    Learning From Deaths Policy

    Policies and procedures relating to Human Resources including recruitment and employment policies, Equality and Diversity Policy

    Gender pay reporting

    Modern Slavery Act - Trust Statement

    Disciplinary Process 

    Equality Diversity and Inclusion Policy

    Grievance Policy

    Performance and Development Policy

    Recruitment and Selection Policy 

    Sickness Absence Policy

    Health and Safety Policy

    Standing financial procedures/instructions

    Standing Financial Instructions

    Complaints and other customer service policies and procedures

    https://www.swast.nhs.uk
    /welcome/get-in-touch
    /contact-information-1

    (Contact information including how to make a complaint)

    Data protection/records management/Caldicott Guardian

    https://www.swast.nhs.uk
    /welcome/foi-key-documents
    /access-to-health-records-held-by-
    the-trust

    GDPR privacy notice for employees

    GDPR privacy notice for patients

    Estate management, charging regimes and policies

     

    Green Plan 2021-2024 Our Plan - Green for Green 2021/22 - 2023/24

    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

    https://www.swast.nhs.uk
    /welcome/foundation-trust
    /council-of-governors

    Information Asset Register
    CCTV Information
    Register of Gifts and Hospitality provided to Board members and senior personnel
    FOI Disclosure Log

    FOI Disclosure Logs

    The services we offer

    Information about the services we offer, including leaflets, guidance and newsletters.

    Community First Responders

    Notice of Appointment of External Auditors

     

    Notice of Appointment of External Auditors for South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust.

     

    For the 2023-24 financial year commencing 1 April, KPMG UK LLP have been appointed as external auditors for South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust for a period of three years, with an option to extend the appointment for further periods of 12 months, up to a maximum of three additional years. On 14 September 2023, the recommendation of the Trust’s Board to make a direct appointment using the NHS Shared Business Services framework agreement was approved by the Annual Members Meeting.  The Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014 requires NHS trusts to select and appoint their own auditors and directly manage their contracts for these audits. To fulfil these requirements, South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust is obliged to appoint an external auditor, eligible for appointment in line with the Financial Reporting Council’s (FRC) requirements, to audit the annual accounts by 31 December of the preceding year. The appointment can be for longer than a year but there must be a new appointment at least once every 5 years and an auditor can be re-appointed for further terms. Within 28 days of an appointment being made, the Act also required NHS trusts to publish a notice to name the external auditor, the length of the appointment, the advice, or a summary of the advice to the Board or Governing Body, received from the auditor panel, and, where it has not accepted that advice, the reasons why not.

    South Western Ambulance Charity logo

    South Western Ambulance Charity

    The South Western Ambulance Charity, founded in 1995, uses gifted monies to benefit those in our communities who use our service and to improve the welfare of the staff and volunteers of the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust. 

    Our charitable support covers Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, Devon, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Somerset and Wiltshire including Bristol and Swindon.

    If you would like to show your appreciation for the care that you or your loved one has received from us in the form of a charitable donation please visit our online giving website: Donate to South Western Ambulance Charity | Give as you Live Donate