Catalina Espinosa
Research expert covering society, economy, and politics for Europe and the EU
Emergency services in the United Kingdom - Statistics & Facts
The emergency services in the United Kingdom consist of three main organizations, the Police Service, the Fire Service and the Emergency Medical Services. While the Police and Fire services are overseen by the Home Office, the Department of Health is responsible for the National Health Service, and by extension the Emergency Medical Services. In terms of officer numbers, the largest police force in the United Kingdom is the Metropolitan Police Force, which police Greater London. London's Fire Brigade is also the largest fire service in the UK with 4,509 firefighters as of 2024.
With less funding available the Police and Fire Services inevitably had to reduce their staffing levels. In 2010, for example, there were over 143,000 police officers in England and Wales, compared with just over 123,000 nine years later in 2019. The number of fire and rescue workers in England decreased by approximately 10,000 people during the same time period. One of the likely factors behind a steep rise in crime in England and Wales recorded between 2013/14 and 2018/19 were underfunded police forces having to do more with less.
Cuts to services in the 2010s
Like many publicly-funded institutions in the United Kingdom, the emergency services have had to cope with years of budget cuts in the wake of austerity policies pursued by British governments since 2010. Between 2009/10 and 2013/14, for example, the Police Service expenditure for the UK fell from 19.3 billion to 16.35 billion British pounds. Fire services expenditure also declined during this period, experiencing a net decrease of around 30 million British pounds between 2009/10 and 2018/19. There have been spending increases in this area since 2018/19, however, police funding rising to 27.3 billion British pounds in 2023/24, and the fire-protection budget rising to 3.6 billion pounds in the same financial year.With less funding available the Police and Fire Services inevitably had to reduce their staffing levels. In 2010, for example, there were over 143,000 police officers in England and Wales, compared with just over 123,000 nine years later in 2019. The number of fire and rescue workers in England decreased by approximately 10,000 people during the same time period. One of the likely factors behind a steep rise in crime in England and Wales recorded between 2013/14 and 2018/19 were underfunded police forces having to do more with less.
Rising demand for paramedics
Unlike the police and fire services, the number of ambulance staff in England has actually increased since 2010, reaching a peak of over 21,000 qualified staff in 2019, although this fell again to just 16,700 in 2020. Ambulances in the United Kingdom have also had to contend with rising demand for their services, and in late 2022, just 49.6 percent of people who attended accident and emergency (A&E) departments in England were seen within four hours, missing the target of 95 percent. The last time this target was met was in June 2013, when 95.3 percent of patients were seen within four hours of arriving at A&E.
