Delays repairing ageing ambulances hitting response times

Some ambulance trusts report that up to two-fifths of their ambulances are unavailable, with ageing vehicles sidelined for repairs and replacements.

An over-reliance on old vehicles is being exacerbated by problems related to industry fixing and supplying new ambulances.

In one case, 43% of South Central Ambulance Service’s vehicles are “off road”, which is having “a negative impact on 999 performance, with insufficient fleet capacity to meet operational hours required”.

It blamed the need for repairs on an ageing fleet, delays in the delivery of new vehicles, and existing vehicles being “overused” in an attempt to compensate.

South Central Ambulance Service Foundation Trust – which covers the Thames Valley and Hampshire region – also confirmed ambulance availability was a factor in it declaring a “business continuity incident” last month.

The incident was called when winter pressures, compounded by the capacity problems, saw an increase in response times for category 2 incidents, which cover a wide range of 999 calls, including suspected heart attacks and strokes.

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Source: HSJ, 16 February 2026