How fast do ambulances arrive for a heart attack in the South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust area?

A suspected heart attack is usually a Category 2 call. In May 2026, South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust had a mean Category 2 response time of 25 minutes 54 seconds and a 90th-centile time of 52 minutes 46 seconds (9 in 10 responses were within this). The most life-threatening calls (Category 1, e.g. cardiac arrest) had a mean response of 8 minutes 9 seconds. These are monthly averages, not a guarantee for any single call. Source: NHS England AmbSYS, May 2026.

Is South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust meeting the ambulance response targets?

On May 2026 data, South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust’s Category 1 mean of 8 minutes 9 seconds was above the 7-minute target, and its Category 2 mean of 25 minutes 54 seconds was above the 18-minute target. Its Gera Ambulance Performance Index is 77.7 / 100. Source: NHS England AmbSYS, May 2026.

What should I do for a non-emergency in the South East 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 — often the same day. This helps keep South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust resources free for genuine emergencies.

South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust — Ambulance Response Times

Real NHS England Ambulance Quality Indicators (AmbSYS) for May 2026, covering the South East region. Org code RYD.

What is the ambulance response time for South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust?

In May 2026, South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust recorded a mean Category 1 (life-threatening) ambulance response time of 8 minutes 9 seconds — above the 7-minute target — and a mean Category 2 (emergency) response of 25 minutes 54 seconds against an 18-minute standard, per NHS England AmbSYS. Its Gera Ambulance Performance Index is 77.7/100. 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 Index77.7 / 100Combines this trust's Category 1 (8 minutes 9 seconds) and Category 2 (25 minutes 54 seconds) mean response times against their 7-minute and 18-minute targets. England scores 75.3.How this index is calculated

South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust ambulance response times — May 2026 (NHS England AmbSYS, OGL v3.0)
Category	Mean response	90th centile	England mean	Target (mean / 90th)
Category 1 (life-threatening)	8 minutes 9 seconds	15 minutes 16 seconds	7 minutes 52 seconds	7 min / 15 min
Category 2 (emergency)	25 minutes 54 seconds	52 minutes 46 seconds	29 minutes 13 seconds	18 min / 40 min
Category 3 (urgent)	117 minutes 42 seconds	268 minutes 2 seconds	107 minutes 49 seconds	60 min / 120 min
Category 4 (less urgent)	141 minutes 52 seconds	284 minutes 7 seconds	148 minutes 50 seconds	— / 180 min

On the latest month, South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust's Category 1 mean was above the 7-minute target and its Category 2 mean was above the 18-minute target, across 70,853 total incidents. These are monthly averages and not a prediction for any single 999 call.

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At South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, the latest mean Category 2 ambulance response time was 25 minutes 54 seconds, with a 90th-centile of 52 minutes 46 seconds — meaning 9 in 10 Category 2 responses arrived within that time.

Mean response

25 minutes 54 seconds

vs England average

-3 min

England 29 minutes 13 seconds

Gera Ambulance Performance Index

77.7 / 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 — do not wait. This tool reports historical averages only.

Across 70,853 total incidents at this trust in the latest month. Source: NHS England Ambulance Quality Indicators (AmbSYS), May 2026.

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South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust ambulance response times: FAQs

What is the ambulance response time for South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust?: In May 2026, South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust recorded a mean Category 1 (life-threatening) response time of 8 minutes 9 seconds and a mean Category 2 (emergency) response time of 25 minutes 54 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 South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust area?: A suspected heart attack is usually a Category 2 call. In May 2026, South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust had a mean Category 2 response time of 25 minutes 54 seconds and a 90th-centile time of 52 minutes 46 seconds (9 in 10 responses were within this). The most life-threatening calls (Category 1, e.g. cardiac arrest) had a mean response of 8 minutes 9 seconds. These are monthly averages, not a guarantee for any single call. Source: NHS England AmbSYS, May 2026.
Is South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust meeting the ambulance response targets?: On May 2026 data, South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust’s Category 1 mean of 8 minutes 9 seconds was above the 7-minute target, and its Category 2 mean of 25 minutes 54 seconds was above the 18-minute target. Its Gera Ambulance Performance Index is 77.7 / 100. Source: NHS England AmbSYS, May 2026.
What should I do for a non-emergency in the South East 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 — often the same day. This helps keep South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation 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 — often the same day — keeping South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust resources free for genuine emergencies.

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).