[17] The service, like the rest of NHS Scotland, is free at point of access and is widely used by both the public and healthcare professionals.

Specifically at the following ambulance stations: Lerwick, Kirkwall, Stornoway, Benbecula, Lairg, Inverness, Lochcarron, Elgin, Aberdeen, Oban, Pitlochry, Callander, Perth, Dundee, Campbeltown, Paisley, Glasgow (Castlemilk fire station), Kilmarnock, Hamilton, Stranraer, Newton Stewart, Dumfries, Biggar, Melrose, Prestonpans, Edinburgh, Livingston, Falkirk, Stirling, Dunfermline, Cupar and Leven.

[citation needed] The service also uses a number of volunteer responders in conjunction with BASICS Scotland and the Sandpiper Trust.

[citation needed] These responders may be able to offer enhanced "Yellow" skillsets and advanced interventions to assist the other emergency services.

Such skills offered by BASICS Scotland responders may include: endotracheal intubation, procedural sedation, advanced analgesia, nerve blocks, cardioversion and thoracostomy with or without drain insertion.

[26] The Highland PICT Team is based at Raigmore Emergency Department, Inverness and respond to a round 150 patients a month.

[30][31] One of the team's advanced nurses was also nominated for a Scottish Health Award for his part in the care and rescue of a child with traumatic injuries from a mountain.

[32][33] In 1998 a charitable trust was set up, aligned to the Medic One team, to facilitate learning and development of Edinburgh hospital staff.

[33] It has a fast response car, but relies on the Scottish Ambulance Service sending a driver to the hospital in order to attend 999 calls.

[36] In 2020 the Tayside trauma team stated they would soon cease to operate and it was noted that their governance and training could be deemed inadequate by current standards.

[19] The geography of Scotland includes urban centres such as Edinburgh and Glasgow, areas of relatively low population density such as Grampian and the Scottish Highlands, and inhabited islands.

[37] When a large fleet upgrade project was commissioned in 2016, the business case was made to move to a solely box-body on chassis build, to provide some flexibility and more resilient parts procurement.

[37] The equipment used on board Scottish Ambulance Service vehicles broadly falls in line with NHS Scotland and allows for interoperability in most cases.

Equipment is standardised nationally and replaced at regular service intervals; for example, high-cost items such as defibrillators are costed and changed every seven years according to clinical need.

[41] Amongst cost and comfort considerations, all Scottish Ambulance Service Staff now wear the national uniform which comprises a dark green trouser/shirt combination.

The service also handles non-emergency admissions, discharges, transport of palliative care patients and a variety of other specialised roles.

[50] Patient Transport Vehicles come in a variety of forms and are staffed by ambulance care assistants, who work either double- or single-crewed.

The fleet consists of two Airbus H145 helicopters[53] and two Beechcraft B200C King Air fixed-wing aircraft, which provide emergency response and transfers of patients to and from remote areas of Scotland.

[56] The air ambulance service was occasionally featured as part of the Channel 5 television documentary series Highland Emergency.

[63] This £4.3 million initiative was to provide additional preparedness to be able to respond to large-scale hazardous incidents, such as those that might involve chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear material.

In years to follow, the clinical crew began to gather evidence for the life-saving impact and cost effectiveness of the service.

[71] The facility has purpose built classrooms, lecture theatres, syndicate rooms and a clinical simulation area that recreates a 16-bed hospital ward and Accident & Emergency department allowing realistic interaction with other trainee healthcare professionals.

[72] From 1996 until April 2011, the service used its own dedicated training college located at Barony Castle in Eddleston near Peebles.