What is the average ambulance response time in England right now?

In May 2026, the mean Category 1 (life-threatening) ambulance response time in England was 7 minutes 52 seconds — above the 7-minute national target. The mean Category 2 (emergency) response time was 29 minutes 13 seconds, against an 18-minute standard. Figures are from NHS England Ambulance Quality Indicators (AmbSYS), May 2026.

Are NHS ambulance trusts meeting the Category 1 7-minute target?

On the latest data (May 2026), the England mean Category 1 response time was 7 minutes 52 seconds, which is above the 7-minute (420-second) national target. The 90th-centile Category 1 time was 13 minutes 58 seconds, against a 15-minute standard. Most individual trusts were above the 7-minute mean target in this month. Source: NHS England AmbSYS, May 2026.

What is the Category 2 ambulance response time in England?

In May 2026, the England mean Category 2 (emergency, e.g. suspected stroke or heart attack) response time was 29 minutes 13 seconds, and the 90th-centile time was 59 minutes 25 seconds. The standard is an 18-minute mean and a 40-minute 90th-centile. This is a monthly England average across 407,809 Category 2 incidents. Source: NHS England AmbSYS, May 2026.

What is the Gera Ambulance Performance Index?

The Gera Ambulance Performance Index (GAPI) is a 0–100 score Gera computes from each trust’s published Category 1 and Category 2 mean response times versus their 7-minute and 18-minute targets. The England GAPI for May 2026 is 75.3 / 100. A score of 100 means a trust meets or beats both mean targets. The full methodology is published and reproducible from the NHS England AmbSYS figures.

Should I call 999 or use an online doctor for a non-emergency?

Always call 999 for a life-threatening emergency such as chest pain, difficulty breathing, severe bleeding or loss of consciousness — these are Category 1 or 2 calls. For non-urgent symptoms that do not need an ambulance, an online consultation with a UK-registered GeraClinic clinician can assess, triage and, where needed, escalate — often the same day, without adding to ambulance demand.

NHS Ambulance Response Times by Trust

Real NHS England Ambulance Quality Indicators (AmbSYS) for May 2026, across 11 ambulance trusts and all four call categories — plus the Gera Ambulance Performance Index.

What is the current NHS ambulance response time in England?

In May 2026, the mean Category 1 (life-threatening) ambulance response time in England was 7 minutes 52 seconds — above the 7-minute national target — and the mean Category 2 (emergency) response time was 29 minutes 13 seconds, against an 18-minute standard, per NHS England Ambulance Quality Indicators (AmbSYS). Gera re-dates this monthly.

Source:NHS England — Ambulance Quality Indicators (AQI), AmbSYS·as of May 2026updated monthly (last: 18 June 2026)

Gera Ambulance Performance IndexEngland 75.3 / 100Per-trust 0–100 scores combine Category 1 and Category 2 mean response times against their 7-minute and 18-minute targets. England scores 75.3.How this index is calculated

England ambulance response times — May 2026 (NHS England AmbSYS, OGL v3.0)
Category	Mean response	90th centile	Target (mean / 90th)
Category 1 (life-threatening)	7 minutes 52 seconds	13 minutes 58 seconds	7 min / 15 min
Category 2 (emergency)	29 minutes 13 seconds	59 minutes 25 seconds	18 min / 40 min
Category 3 (urgent)	107 minutes 49 seconds	248 minutes 14 seconds	60 min / 120 min
Category 4 (less urgent)	148 minutes 50 seconds	348 minutes 25 seconds	— / 180 min

Estimate your local ambulance response time

Pick your ambulance trust and an emergency category to see its real latest response time vs the England average.

Your local ambulance trustEmergency category

Select your ambulance trust and an emergency category to see the real latest mean and 90th-centile response time, how it compares to the England average and the fastest trust, and what to do for a non-emergency.

NHS ambulance trusts ranked by performance (May 2026)

Fastest ambulance trusts by Gera Ambulance Performance Index, best first
Trust	Category 1 mean	Category 2 mean	Gera Ambulance Performance Index
North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust	6 minutes 12 seconds	18 minutes 30 seconds	100 / 100
West Midlands Ambulance Service University NHS Foundation Trust	7 minutes 54 seconds	20 minutes 29 seconds	88.2 / 100
North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust	6 minutes 55 seconds	24 minutes 51 seconds	86.8 / 100
Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust	7 minutes 55 seconds	23 minutes 57 seconds	81.8 / 100
London Ambulance Service NHS Trust	7 minutes	32 minutes 21 seconds	77.8 / 100

Trusts under the most response-time pressure this month: South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (59.6 / 100), East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust (64.5 / 100), South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (66 / 100), East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (72.5 / 100), Isle of Wight NHS Trust (73.7 / 100).

Response times by emergency category

How the Gera Ambulance Performance Index is calculated.

All NHS ambulance trusts

Related NHS data on GeraClinic

NHS ambulance response times: frequently asked questions

What is the average ambulance response time in England right now?: In May 2026, the mean Category 1 (life-threatening) ambulance response time in England was 7 minutes 52 seconds — above the 7-minute national target. The mean Category 2 (emergency) response time was 29 minutes 13 seconds, against an 18-minute standard. Figures are from NHS England Ambulance Quality Indicators (AmbSYS), May 2026.
Are NHS ambulance trusts meeting the Category 1 7-minute target?: On the latest data (May 2026), the England mean Category 1 response time was 7 minutes 52 seconds, which is above the 7-minute (420-second) national target. The 90th-centile Category 1 time was 13 minutes 58 seconds, against a 15-minute standard. Most individual trusts were above the 7-minute mean target in this month. Source: NHS England AmbSYS, May 2026.
What is the Category 2 ambulance response time in England?: In May 2026, the England mean Category 2 (emergency, e.g. suspected stroke or heart attack) response time was 29 minutes 13 seconds, and the 90th-centile time was 59 minutes 25 seconds. The standard is an 18-minute mean and a 40-minute 90th-centile. This is a monthly England average across 407,809 Category 2 incidents. Source: NHS England AmbSYS, May 2026.
What is the Gera Ambulance Performance Index?: The Gera Ambulance Performance Index (GAPI) is a 0–100 score Gera computes from each trust’s published Category 1 and Category 2 mean response times versus their 7-minute and 18-minute targets. The England GAPI for May 2026 is 75.3 / 100. A score of 100 means a trust meets or beats both mean targets. The full methodology is published and reproducible from the NHS England AmbSYS figures.
Should I call 999 or use an online doctor for a non-emergency?: Always call 999 for a life-threatening emergency such as chest pain, difficulty breathing, severe bleeding or loss of consciousness — these are Category 1 or 2 calls. For non-urgent symptoms that do not need an ambulance, an online consultation with a UK-registered GeraClinic clinician can assess, triage and, where needed, escalate — often the same day, without adding to ambulance demand.

Not a 999 emergency but need a doctor fast?

Ambulance response times are under pressure: England's mean Category 1 response is 7 minutes 52 seconds, above the 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.

Start a GeraClinic consultation How GeraClinic works

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).