South East Ambulance Response Index
Real NHS England Ambulance Quality Indicators (AmbSYS) for the South East region, May 2026 — 3 NHS ambulance services, ranked 6 of 7 NHS regions. May 2026 edition.
How fast are ambulances responding in South East?
As of May 2026, the Gera Ambulance Response Index for South East is 72 / 100: the mean Category 1 (life-threatening) response time was 8 minutes 25 seconds against a 7-minute target and the mean Category 2 (emergency) response time was 29 minutes 33 seconds against an 18-minute target, across 3 NHS ambulance services (NHS England AmbSYS).
The region score pools each service’s published Category 1 and Category 2 mean response times by incident count, then applies the index formula. Every figure is a real NHS England AmbSYS number — see the methodology.
Region index
72 / 100
under pressure
Category 1 mean
8 minutes 25 seconds
target 7 min
Category 2 mean
29 minutes 33 seconds
target 18 min
Incidents
128,634
3 services
Ambulance services in South East
Within South East, South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust scores highest at 77.7 / 100 and South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust is under the most pressure at 66 / 100.
| Ambulance service | Response Index | C1 mean | C1 90th | C2 mean | C2 90th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust | 77.7 / 100 | 8 minutes 9 seconds | 15m 16s | 25 minutes 54 seconds | 52m 46s |
| Isle of Wight NHS Trust | 73.7 / 100 | 8 minutes 24 seconds | 13m 49s | 28 minutes 6 seconds | 58m 51s |
| South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust | 66 / 100 | 8 minutes 49 seconds | 15m 59s | 34 minutes 12 seconds | 65m 44s |
South East ambulance response: FAQs
- What is the ambulance response time in South East (May 2026)?
- In May 2026, South East had a mean Category 1 (life-threatening) response time of 8 minutes 25 seconds against a 7-minute target and a mean Category 2 (emergency) response time of 29 minutes 33 seconds against an 18-minute target, per NHS England AmbSYS. Its Gera Ambulance Response Index is 72 / 100.
- Which ambulance services cover South East?
- South East is served by 3 NHS ambulance services: South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, Isle of Wight NHS Trust, South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust. South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust scores highest at 77.7 / 100 and South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust lowest at 66 / 100.
- How does South East compare with England?
- England as a whole scores 75.3 / 100 for May 2026 (mean Category 2 29 minutes 13 seconds). South East scores 72 / 100 (mean Category 2 29 minutes 33 seconds) — below the England index.
Not a 999 emergency but need a doctor fast?
In South East the mean Category 1 ambulance response is 8 minutes 25 seconds, against a 7-minute target. For a non-emergency, a UK-registered GeraClinic clinician can assess, triage and escalate — often the same day. For a 999 emergency always call 999.
Other NHS regions
Contains public sector information published by NHS England and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Contains public sector information published by NHS England and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: NHS England — Ambulance Quality Indicators (AQI), AmbSYS (May 2026, published 11 June 2026).
Editorial data review: figures on this page are drawn directly from the official public source cited here and were cross-checked against that source at publication; derived values (percentages, medians, index scores) are computed from those published figures using the stated methodology — nothing is estimated or invented. Last reviewed: 3 July 2026. This page is general information, not medical advice.
Informational/educational only — not a substitute for professional medical advice; a clinician interprets results.