South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SECAmb) is marking a strong improvement in Category 2 (C2) ambulance response times for 2025/26, achieved despite a significant increase in demand for emergency care.
NHS England asked the Trust to deliver an average Category 2 response time of 28 minutes and 19 seconds.
Through the sustained effort across the Trust and with support from partners, SECAmb achieved an average response time of 27 minutes and 46 seconds, while responding to an additional 30,000 emergency calls over the year.
This performance reflects a combination of frontline ambulance response and improvements across the wider urgent and emergency care system.
In particular, SECAmb’s Unscheduled Care Navigation Hubs have played an important role by supporting more patients with timely clinical advice and appropriate care pathways. This has helped to ensure ambulance resources are available for those who need them most.
Chief Executive Simon Weldon praised staff for their commitment and the impact this has had on patient care.
He said: “This is a significant achievement for our organisation and for the communities we serve, particularly given the sustained increase in demand we have seen over the past year.
“Delivering faster responses while handling tens of thousands more emergency calls is only possible because of the professionalism and compassion shown by colleagues across SECAmb.
“Our hubs have also made a real difference by supporting more patients safely and effectively, helping us use our resources where they can have the greatest impact.”
Category 2 calls include time‑critical conditions such as suspected heart attacks, strokes and serious injuries, where timely assessment and care can make a vital difference to outcomes.
SECAmb will continue working closely with partners across the region in 2026/27 to build on this progress, further strengthen clinical pathways and continue improving care for patients when they need it most.