Insufficient ambulance service capacity for emergency calls
First to latest report 9 Jan 2014 — 2 Feb 2026
Reports that mention this concern
58
Times this concern has been raised
62
Stated actions linked to this concern
208
What this concern includes
Includes recurring deficiencies in ambulance-service capacity, including insufficient funded ambulances, crews, emergency-response vehicles, staffing or resource resilience where these limit the service's ability to cover emergency calls and meet operational demand.
What is not included
Excludes delayed ambulance attendance, dispatch, call triage, radio communication and hospital handover failures when ambulance capacity itself is not the deficient condition.
Excludes generic recruitment, retention or funding concerns unless they directly result in insufficient ambulance-service capacity for emergency calls.
Excludes a single unresourced call or isolated response delay where no continuing ambulance-capacity deficiency is asserted.
Trends
Reports over time
Reports mentioning this concern, over time
Reports about this concern issued each year.
* 2026 is projected from reports observed to 7 Sep 2026.
Most frequent recipients
Most frequent recipients
Reports about this concern sent to each recipient.
Department of Health and Social Care32
NHS England11
Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust8
Association of Ambulance Chief Executives4
East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust4
East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust4
NHS Derby and Derbyshire Integrated Care Board3
North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust3
South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust3
Betsi Cadwaladr University LHB2
NHS Greater Manchester Integrated Care Board2
NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board2
North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust2
Welsh Government2
Aneurin Bevan University LHB1
Ministerial department32
NHS trust27
Executive non-departmental public body11
Integrated care board11
Local health board5
Health-sector membership body4
Devolved government2
Health professional body2
Type not available2
Airport operator1
Air transport operator1
Clinical commissioning group1
Community interest company1
Coronial office1
English unitary authority1
Reports and published responses 58 reports
See individual reports that have raised this concern, and the actions taken in response
Manchester South
Concerns raised1
Insufficient ambulance availability for timely transport to an acute setting
This report raised 5 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked responses
Care Quality Commission
Public Health England
Stated actions An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.1
Care Quality Commission
Continue monitoring regional ambulance performance and delays through engagement, performance reports, internal meetings, monthly meetings and national forums.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.2
Public Health England
Documentation, observations, vulnerability assessment, COVID-19 transmission, and ambulance delay were outside the respondent’s remit, control, and responsibility.
Outside remitThe respondent said that this matter was outside its role or authority.
Public Health England
Other named organisations, including the care home, regulators, NHS England, and the local partnership, were responsible for commenting on remaining concerns.
Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Bedfordshire and Luton
Concerns raised1
Failure to maintain timely availability of a double staffed ambulance
This report raised 2 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
No linked response statements
No respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
Manchester North
Concerns raised1
Meal break policy causing crews to become unavailable for call allocation
This report raised 1 other concern. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked responses
Department of Health and Social Care
NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board
North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Stated actions An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.2
North West Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Pilot mandatory staggered meal-break stand-downs by transferring meal-break management from dispatchers.
NHS Lancashire and South Cumbria Integrated Care Board
Review the meal-break policy to ensure it does not compromise workforce profiling and ambulance availability.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
Department of Health and Social Care
Individual ambulance trusts, not national authorities, are responsible for operational meal-break and shift-rostering arrangements, subject to employment law.
Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Isle of Wight
Concerns raised1
Insufficient ambulance capacity for emergency incidents during major events
This report raised 4 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
Cowes Week Limited
Stated actions An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.1
Cowes Week Limited
Discuss additional ambulance support internally and report back on the proposal.
Northamptonshire
Concerns raised1
Shortage of double crewed ambulances and fast response vehicles
This report raised 6 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Stated actions An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.3
East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Agree contract terms providing additional funding for clinical staff, ambulances and other response resources.
East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Expand Northamptonshire frontline staffing, including recruitment, training and operational deployment of additional staff.
East Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Recruit private providers with qualified staff to support the additional ambulance response resources.
Gwent
Concerns raised1
Unavailability of nearby rapid response vehicles for calls outside red and amber 1 categories
This report raised 5 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked response
Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust
Stated actions An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.2
Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust
Commence an all-Wales demand and capacity review to determine required operational capacity and future service demand.
Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust
Adopt a more dynamic approach to managing rapid response vehicles within each health board area.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust
Rapid response vehicles are reserved for immediately life-threatening calls, so lower-priority calls may wait longer.
Existing arrangements considered sufficientThe respondent said that existing arrangements were sufficient, so no further action was needed.
South Wales Central
Concerns raised1
Lack of ambulance resources for timely attendance to critically unwell and deteriorating patients
Linked response
Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust
Stated actions An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.9
Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust
Ensure planned resources are sufficient to meet overall demand.
Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust
Align resource production with demand by location and time of day.
Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust
Reduce sickness absence.
Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust
Reduce handover-to-clear duration.
Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust
Introduce safe alternatives to responding at scene where appropriate.
Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust
Reduce conveyance where safe and appropriate by providing care at home through advanced practitioners.
Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust
Increase the scope of practice for Community First Responders.
Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust
Complete a robust review of the Explorer Project.
Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust
Strengthen out-of-hospital alternative pathways to improve care efficiency and resource use.
South Wales Central
Concerns raised1
Failure of demand analysis to accurately estimate required ambulance capacity
This report raised 5 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked responses
Cardiff & Vale University LHB
Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust
Welsh Government
Stated actions An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.1
Cardiff & Vale University LHB and Welsh Ambulance Services NHS Trust
Develop and model the Optima Predict demand-and-capacity planning project.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
Welsh Government
WAST is responsible for planning and delivering a safe, timely ambulance service with sufficient staffing and resource capacity.
Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly
Concerns raised1
Failure to resource emergency ambulance transport to minimum performance standards
This report raised 3 other concerns. They are not shown here because they do not form part of this recurring concern.
Linked responses
NHS Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board
the 10 CCGs
Stated actions An action is something a respondent says it has done, is doing, or plans to do in response to the concern raised.4
the 10 CCGs
Co-produce and implement a Joint Plan with commissioners and SWASFT to address ambulance performance gaps through service transformation, funding and demand reduction.
the 10 CCGs
Develop commissioner-owned STP actions with system partners to improve performance against Ambulance Response Programme standards.
the 10 CCGs
Develop and agree a three-year financial framework providing commissioner investment to support achievement of Ambulance Response Programme standards.
the 10 CCGs
Jointly commission a review of the performance analysis in quarter 2 of 2018/19 and use its revised output to reassess the business-case proposal.
Respondent positions A position is what a respondent says about the concern when they do not describe a specific action.1
NHS Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly Integrated Care Board
Emergency ambulance transport concerns will be addressed by Dorset CCG in a separate response.
Redirects responsibilityThe respondent said that another organisation was responsible for deciding or taking action.
Manchester South
Concerns raised1
Delays in ambulance and paramedic attendance for level 2 priority calls
No linked response statements
No respondent-stated action or position is linked to these concerns in the published data.
Actions and positions describe what organisations say in published responses. Implementation is not independently verified.
Actions and positions describe what organisations say in published responses. Implementation is not independently verified.