Ambulance trusts provide emergency access to healthcare.
Ambulance services became part of the NHS in 1974. Between 1991 and 1995 all ambulance services in England became NHS trusts, with boards of executive and non-executive directors.
Ambulance trusts are working towards the national targets for ambulance services that are set by the Department of Health. These are to respond to:
-
75% of life threatening calls within 8 minutes
-
95% of all emergency calls within 19 minutes.
The
South East Coast Ambulance Trust
covers the Kent, Medway, Surrey and Sussex area, and also provides patient transport to help some patients get to hospital.
