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North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust β€” Ambulance Response Times

Real NHS England Ambulance Quality Indicators (AmbSYS) for May 2026, covering the North West region. Org code RX7.

What is the ambulance response time for North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust?

In May 2026, North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust recorded a mean Category 1 (life-threatening) ambulance response time of 6 minutes 55 seconds β€” within the 7-minute target β€” and a mean Category 2 (emergency) response of 24 minutes 51 seconds against an 18-minute standard, per NHS England AmbSYS. Its Gera Ambulance Performance Index is 86.8/100. Gera re-dates this monthly.

Source:NHS England β€” Ambulance Quality Indicators (AQI), AmbSYSΒ·as of May 2026updated monthly (last: )
Gera Ambulance Performance Index86.8 / 100Combines this trust's Category 1 (6 minutes 55 seconds) and Category 2 (24 minutes 51 seconds) mean response times against their 7-minute and 18-minute targets. England scores 75.3.How this index is calculated
North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust ambulance response times β€” May 2026 (NHS England AmbSYS, OGL v3.0)
CategoryMean response90th centileEngland meanTarget (mean / 90th)
Category 1 (life-threatening)6 minutes 55 seconds11 minutes 46 seconds7 minutes 52 seconds7 min / 15 min
Category 2 (emergency)24 minutes 51 seconds48 minutes 24 seconds29 minutes 13 seconds18 min / 40 min
Category 3 (urgent)89 minutes 44 seconds188 minutes 28 seconds107 minutes 49 seconds60 min / 120 min
Category 4 (less urgent)100 minutes 20 seconds216 minutes 33 seconds148 minutes 50 secondsβ€” / 180 min

On the latest month, North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust's Category 1 mean was within the 7-minute target and its Category 2 mean was above the 18-minute target, across 100,069 total incidents. These are monthly averages and not a prediction for any single 999 call.

Estimate response time at North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust

Choose an emergency category to see the real latest response time vs the England average and the fastest trust.

At North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust, the latest mean Category 2 ambulance response time was 24 minutes 51 seconds, with a 90th-centile of 48 minutes 24 seconds β€” meaning 9 in 10 Category 2 responses arrived within that time.

Mean response
24 minutes 51 seconds
vs England average
-4 min
England 29 minutes 13 seconds
Gera Ambulance Performance Index
86.8 / 100

National Category 2 mean target: 18 minutes. This trust is above target on the latest month. The fastest trust for Category 2 this month is North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust at 18 minutes 30 seconds. Figures are monthly averages, not a prediction for any single call.

Category 2 calls are emergency, such as a suspected stroke or heart attack. If this is a real emergency, call 999 now β€” do not wait. This tool reports historical averages only.

Across 100,069 total incidents at this trust in the latest month. Source: NHS England Ambulance Quality Indicators (AmbSYS), May 2026.

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North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust ambulance response times: FAQs

What is the ambulance response time for North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust?
In May 2026, North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust recorded a mean Category 1 (life-threatening) response time of 6 minutes 55 seconds and a mean Category 2 (emergency) response time of 24 minutes 51 seconds. The national targets are 7 minutes and 18 minutes respectively. England averages were 7 minutes 52 seconds (C1) and 29 minutes 13 seconds (C2). Source: NHS England AmbSYS, May 2026.
How fast do ambulances arrive for a heart attack in the North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust area?
A suspected heart attack is usually a Category 2 call. In May 2026, North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust had a mean Category 2 response time of 24 minutes 51 seconds and a 90th-centile time of 48 minutes 24 seconds (9 in 10 responses were within this). The most life-threatening calls (Category 1, e.g. cardiac arrest) had a mean response of 6 minutes 55 seconds. These are monthly averages, not a guarantee for any single call. Source: NHS England AmbSYS, May 2026.
Is North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust meeting the ambulance response targets?
On May 2026 data, North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust’s Category 1 mean of 6 minutes 55 seconds was within the 7-minute target, and its Category 2 mean of 24 minutes 51 seconds was above the 18-minute target. Its Gera Ambulance Performance Index is 86.8 / 100. Source: NHS England AmbSYS, May 2026.
What should I do for a non-emergency in the North West area?
For a 999 emergency always call 999. For a non-urgent health concern that does not need an ambulance, a GeraClinic online consultation with a UK-registered clinician can assess and triage you β€” often the same day. This helps keep North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust resources free for genuine emergencies.

Non-emergency in your area? Skip the wait

For a 999 emergency always call 999. For a non-urgent concern that doesn't need an ambulance, a UK-registered GeraClinic clinician can assess and triage you β€” often the same day β€” keeping North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust resources free for genuine emergencies.

Contains public sector information published by NHS England and licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: NHS England β€” Ambulance Quality Indicators (AQI), AmbSYS (May 2026, published 11 June 2026).