Regional Ambulance Response Times Outperform National Average

Ardee & Mid Louth News | Health & Public Services

New data released by the National Ambulance Service (NAS) has revealed that emergency response times for 999 calls in the North East have seen a steady improvement over the last twelve months.

According to the latest figures, the average response time for life-threatening and emergency calls in the region was recorded at 22 minutes last year. This represents a marginal but significant gain in efficiency for local emergency services operating across Louth and the surrounding counties.

A Positive Three-Year Trend

The new statistics highlight a consistent downward trend in wait times within the North East region, suggesting that recent investments in fleet and staffing may be beginning to yield results.

The progression over the last three years shows a clear trajectory of improvement:

• Last Year: 22 Minutes
• 2024: 23 Minutes (1-minute reduction)
• 2023: 24 Minutes (2-minute reduction)

Regional vs. National Performance

Perhaps most notably, the North East is currently outperforming the national average. While the countrywide average response time stands at 24 minutes, local crews are reaching patients two minutes faster than their counterparts in other regions.

Health advocates have welcomed the data but remain cautious, noting that while the averages are moving in the right direction, the pressure on paramedics and hospital handover times remains a critical challenge for the service.

Continuing Pressures

The NAS has attributed the improved efficiency to better deployment strategies and a slight easing of hospital “trolley crises” in some regional hubs, which allows ambulances to return to the road more quickly. However, officials continue to urge the public to only use the 999/112 service for genuine emergencies to ensure these response times continue to fall.