East of England Ambulance Service sees fastest response times in almost five years
Date: 9 April 2026New figures from the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) show that it achieved the fastest average response times for serious emergencies in almost five years last month.
The figures for March show an average response time across the region of under 30 minutes for Category 2 emergencies – such as chest pain or stroke symptoms – at 28 minutes 15 seconds. This was the best performance since May 2021, and means ambulances are getting to seriously unwell patients even faster.
EEAST has focused relentlessly on reducing the amount of time ambulances are off the road being repaired or maintained, by investing in new fleet.
The Trust has also expanded its clinical assessment service in its emergency operations centres, recruiting more clinicians who can treat less seriously unwell patients over the phone.
Around 18% of all 999 calls EEAST receives are now treated over the phone, freeing up ambulances to only attend those patients who genuinely need one.
Neill Moloney, Chief Executive Officer at EEAST, said: "These latest figures are great news for patients in the east of England, as they show our ambulances are responding for the fastest time in almost five years. This is down to the sheer hard work and dedication of our ambulance crews, control room staff and support services who are ensuring our ambulances are on the road as much as possible.
"I am incredibly proud of everyone at EEAST who is playing a part in delivering outstanding patient care, and I am determined to keep up this momentum."
The news comes on top of recent NHS figures showing a 9.8% growth in EEAST's productivity – one of the highest for an ambulance trust in the country – which led to faster response times over winter despite one of the busiest winters on record.
Notes to editors
Our average Category 1 response time in March was 08:09, and our average Category 2 response time was 28:15.
In March last year, our Category 1 response time was 08:19 and our Category 2 response time was 32:25.
Our hear and treat rate is 17.98% so far in 2026.
More details about NHS productivity figures can be found here: https://www.eastamb.nhs.uk/newsroom/growth-in-productivity-across-nhs-in-the-east-of-england-helps-manage-one-of-the-busiest-winters.
