Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health, what the performance criteria are against which 999 ambulance call handlers are assessed.

Information is not held centrally on how each individual ambulance trust assesses and monitors the performance of 999 ambulance call handlers. Call handlers have an important role in the process to help achieve the three national ambulance response time standards for 999 calls that are classified as immediately life threatening. These are as follows:

- 75% of Category A Red 1 calls responded to within eight minutes, from the time the call is connected to the control room. Red 1 calls are the most time critical, covering cardiac arrest patients who are not breathing and do not have a pulse, and other severe conditions such as airway obstruction.

- 75% of Category A Red 2 calls responded to within eight minutes, from the time that either (i) the chief complaint is identified, (ii) the call handler determines a priority response is required, or (iii) after 60 seconds has elapsed, whichever is the sooner. Red 2 calls are serious but less immediately time critical, covering conditions such as stroke and fits.

- 95% of all Category A (Red 1 and Red 2) calls receive an ambulance capable of conveying the patient within 19 minutes.

Response time standards for non-life threatening calls are determined locally.