South East Coast Ambulance Service response times, September 2026
Emergencies such as stroke: 33 min on average The standard is 18 min. England: 31 min.
Seventh quickest of 11 services in England.
Life-threatening emergency: call 999.
By category
- Category 1: life-threatening, such as a cardiac arrest 8 min average 9 in 10 within 16 min. Standard: 7 min on average, 9 in 10 within 15 min.
- Category 2: emergencies, such as a stroke or heart attack 33 min average 9 in 10 within 1 h 6 min. Standard: 18 min on average, 9 in 10 within 40 min.
- Category 3: urgent but not life-threatening, such as a fall 2 h 33 min average 9 in 10 within 6 h 7 min. Standard: 9 in 10 within 2 hours.
- Category 4: less urgent; some calls get advice by phone instead 3 h 5 min average 9 in 10 within 7 h 13 min. Standard: 9 in 10 within 3 hours.
Last 12 months
| Month | Category 1 average | Category 2 average | Category 3, 9 in 10 | Category 4, 9 in 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8 min | 33 min | 6 h 7 min | 7 h 13 min | |
| 7 min | 29 min | 5 h 35 min | 6 h 11 min | |
| 8 min | 31 min | 5 h 50 min | 6 h 57 min | |
| 8 min | 29 min | 5 h 10 min | 5 h 21 min | |
| 8 min | 26 min | 4 h 28 min | 4 h 44 min | |
| 8 min | 22 min | 3 h 26 min | 3 h 38 min | |
| 8 min | 26 min | 4 h 36 min | 4 h 49 min | |
| 8 min | 27 min | 4 h 30 min | 5 h 45 min | |
| 8 min | 27 min | 4 h 33 min | 4 h 56 min | |
| 8 min | 28 min | 5 h 7 min | 5 h 50 min | |
| 8 min | 26 min | 4 h 16 min | 4 h 29 min | |
| 8 min | 28 min | 4 h 48 min | 5 h 5 min |
Areas it covers
NHS England figures, , checked . About the data.