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Heartlands Hospital: Ambulance Services

Asked by Liam ByrneLabourDepartment of Health and Social CareTabled Answered 29 June 2026UIN 12061

The question

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the average ambulance handover time was at Birmingham Heartlands Hospital A&E in (a) 2024-25 and (b) the most recent quarter for which data is available.

Answered by Karin Smyth

Ambulance handover performance is not published at a hospital level. NHS England does publish data on handover delays at a National Health Service trust level. Birmingham Heartlands Hospital is part of the University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust. This data is published monthly, and is available at the following link:

https://digital.nhs.uk/data-and-information/publications/statistical/mi-nhse-ambulance-handover-times-by-acute-trust

Hospital handover delays are a significant driver of challenged ambulance performance. That is why we have introduced a maximum 45-minute “Release to Rescue” standard for ambulance handovers. This ensures patients are transferred to hospital care more quickly and frees up ambulance crews for urgent calls.

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