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Ambulance Calls This Year

NHS ambulance services in England receive approximately 13 million calls per year, according to NHS England Ambulance Quality Indicators. This equates to approximately 35,600 calls per day or roughly 1,500 per hour. Of these, approximately 11 million are 999 emergency calls.

Ambulance calls are triaged and categorised by urgency. Category 1 calls — the most life-threatening emergencies including cardiac arrest and difficulty breathing — should receive a response within an average of 7 minutes. Category 2 calls — emergencies such as strokes and serious injuries — should receive an average response of 18 minutes. Category 3 and 4 calls cover less urgent conditions.

Ambulance response time targets have been consistently missed in recent years. Category 1 response times have averaged 8-9 minutes nationally, above the 7-minute target. Category 2 responses have averaged 30-40 minutes against an 18-minute standard. Long response times for Category 2 calls — which include strokes — are clinically significant as treatment outcomes deteriorate rapidly with time.

NHS 111 — the non-emergency medical helpline — receives approximately 18 million calls per year. NHS 111 provides clinical assessment and advice, with callers directed to the most appropriate care setting including GP services, pharmacies, urgent treatment centres or, where necessary, dispatching an ambulance.

Ambulance handover delays at hospital A&E departments have become a major operational challenge. Crews spend significant time waiting to hand over patients at hospitals where no bed or space is available, preventing vehicles from responding to new calls. In the worst months of 2022/23, ambulances lost approximately 100,000 hours per week to handover delays nationally.

Source: NHS England Ambulance Quality Indicators · Data year: 2024/25 · All figures are statistical estimates calculated from official annual publications

How many 999 calls are made to ambulance services in England each year?

NHS ambulance services in England receive approximately 13 million calls per year including approximately 11 million 999 emergency calls, according to NHS England Ambulance Quality Indicators. This equates to over 35,000 calls per day. Call volumes have increased year on year, driven by population growth and increased medical complexity.

What are the NHS ambulance response time targets?

NHS ambulance response time targets in England are: Category 1 (life-threatening emergencies like cardiac arrest) — average 7 minutes; Category 2 (serious emergencies like strokes) — average 18 minutes; Category 3 (urgent calls) — 120 minutes for 90% of patients; Category 4 (less urgent) — 180 minutes for 90% of patients. Category 1 and 2 targets are frequently missed nationally.

What is the difference between 999 and NHS 111?

999 is for genuine life-threatening emergencies requiring an immediate ambulance response such as cardiac arrest, difficulty breathing, severe bleeding or loss of consciousness. NHS 111 is for urgent medical problems that require prompt attention but are not life-threatening. NHS 111 operates 24/7 and can dispatch an ambulance if clinically necessary. Using 111 for non-emergencies reduces pressure on 999 services.