AMBULANCES in the region are getting to emergencies faster than ever before.
New figures from NHS England show West Midlands Ambulance Service has improved response times in the last 12 months – despite a rise in the number of 999 calls.
The average response time for the most serious calls fell by 18 seconds to six minutes and 44 seconds – below the target time of seven minutes.
The trust remains the only one in the country exceeding all targets.
Trust chief executive Anthony Marsh said it was excellent news for patients.
He said: “It is down to the incredible efforts of our staff, who work so hard in often difficult circumstances to ensure patients get the best possible care.
“The new ambulance response standards, which were introduced last year, are helping to make improvements to the way we treat patients, prioritising the people who need us most.
“Patients with conditions such as heart attacks and strokes get the right treatment much sooner, which is having a real benefit to those individuals’ long term outcomes.”
He said the trust had the newest fleet of vehicles in the country, and was the only in the UK to have a paramedic in every vehicle.
He added: “This is a real team effort to achieve such high standards. That team starts with the staff who take our 999 calls, those that dispatch the vehicles as well as those who respond.
“We will continue to do everything possible to ensure we provide the highest quality of care to every patient.”