Average ambulance waits for heart attacks and strokes rise to 46 minutes

Average ambulance response times for category 2 calls - which includes suspected heart attacks and strokes were 46 minutes in December in England, up from 39 minutes in November, latest NHS figures show.
An ambulance drives into a covered porch area at an A&E department

An ambulance drives into a covered porch area at an A&E department

The latest figure is over double the official target for responding to category 2 calls is 18 minutes.

NHS England and Government have set a new average target of 30 minutes for 2023/24. This target has been met in just one month since April 2023 .

In better news, latest NHS England figures published today show that the number of people on cardiac waiting lists fell to 402,028 at the end of November 2023 in England – a decrease of 4,667 on the previous month.

However, the heart care waiting list is still 72 per cent larger than in February 2020.This is an increase of 169,000 people – almost enough to fill Wembley stadium nearly twice over.

The figures also show that:

• There was a decrease in the number of people waiting over four months for potentially lifesaving heart care at the end of November – 156,400 compared with 159,312 at the end of October 2023. However, well over a third (39%) of all people on waiting lists for cardiac care are waiting over 18 weeks for care.

• The longer people wait for treatment, the higher their risk of becoming disabled from heart failure or dying prematurely.

• The number of people waiting over a year for time-critical heart tests and treatments fell to 11,400, from 12,778 in October. Just 28 people were waiting this long in February 2020.

'Dangerous waits'

Dr Sonya Babu-Narayan, our Associate Medical Director, said: “Heart attacks and strokes are life-threatening emergencies.

"Every minute lost increases the risk of permanent brain or heart damage, and even death. That’s why it is so dangerous that average ambulance response times rose again this December.

“Unacceptable waits for emergency heart attack and stroke care are just the tip of the iceberg. By the time this happens, it means there are severe problems in every part of the system providing vital care for heart patients.

"Heart care waiting times remain at a near-record high, despite a modest fall in the number of people waiting for planned heart care. Patients and their families need to see an end to this crisis.

“If you experience the symptoms of a heart attack, please don’t hesitate in phoning 999. It’s still the best thing to do and it could save your life.”

WHY OUR HEARTS NEED MORE