 Ambulance crew responses to emergencies varied across Scotland |
Response times for life threatening emergency calls have improved, the Scottish Ambulance Service has said. In the last year, the service improved average response times from 8.6 minutes from 8.4, despite increased demand.
Figures showed variations across the country, from a response time high of 12.4 minutes in the Shetland to a low of 7.4 minutes in Grampian.
They were revealed at the service's AGM where 103 new frontline jobs for Lanarkshire and Glasgow were announced.
William Brackenridge, chairman of the Scottish Ambulance Service, said the jobs would deliver improved performance.
 | 2005/06 RESPONSE TIMES (MINUTES) Argyll & Clyde 8.6 Ayrshire & Arran 8.3 Borders 9.4 Dumfries & Galloway 10.2 Fife 7.6 Forth Valley 8.5 Grampian 7.4 Greater Glasgow 8.8 Highland 9.7 Lanarkshire 9.2 Lothian 7.8 Orkney 9.8 Shetland 12.4 Tayside 8 Western Isles 11.7 Scotland 8.4 |
Health Minister Andy Kerr added: "The continued investment in additional frontline jobs will have a positive impact on response times and the delivery of patient care."
The service responded to more than 500,000 emergency incidents during the year.
This included 38,000 instances of chest pains, 27,000 cases of patients with breathing problems and almost 5,500 road accidents.
Adrian Lucas, chief executive of the Scottish Ambulance Service, said: "We are proud of the continued improvement in our response time to those patients who need us most.
"In the coming year we face the challenge of continued improvement in a world where we are seeing unprecedented demand for our services and I have every confidence that our highly committed staff are equal to the task."
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