Ambulance Services: Standards
The question
To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to (a) reduce ambulance wait times and (b) increase availability of ambulances.
Answered by Karin Smyth
The NHS Medium Term Planning Framework sets the long-term trajectory for safer, more efficient urgent and emergency care. This includes reducing average Category 2 ambulance response times to 25 minutes in 2026/27 and 18 minutes, with 90% within 40 minutes, by the end of 2028/29. Despite 6%, or 183,638, more incidents in winter 2025/26 compared to winter 2024/25, Category 2 ambulance response times were seven minutes four seconds faster last year than the year before.
East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) received significant national investment in 2025/26 and 2026/27, which is delivering large improvements in capacity. EMAS has committed to using this funding for 40 ambulances, including Dual Crewed Ambulances that are available to respond to patients, as well as to increase the level of Hear and Treat Activity by increasing the number of clinicians working within the Emergency Operations Centre.
Backed as part of £450 million of capital investment, we have expanded the capacity of same day and urgent care services, including delivering connected care records for ambulance services and nearly 1,000 replacement ambulances, enhancing both the speed and quality of care for patients with the greatest need.
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