The mean response time for Category 2 ambulance incidents was 32 minutes 43 seconds in December 2025, according to the NHS England Integrated Performance Report presented to the Board in February 2026. 

This compares with: 

• 35:44 in November 2025 

• 47:26 in December 2024 

The report describes December 2025 performance as the best December since December 2020. 

Category 2 calls include conditions such as suspected stroke and chest pain. 

Four-hour emergency department performance 

The same Board paper reports that in December 2025: 

• 73.1% of patients attending a Type 1 emergency department were seen within four hours 

This represents an improvement of 2.8 percentage points compared with December 2024. 

The four-hour standard remains 95%. 

Twelve-hour waits 

In December 2025: 

• 10.5% of Type 1 emergency department attendances waited more than 12 hours from arrival 

This compares with 12.4% in December 2024. 

The Board paper presents the year-on-year improvement alongside continued system pressures during winter. 

Discharge context 

The Integrated Performance Report also notes that discharge delays have worsened compared with the previous year. 

The December 2025 Board minutes reference continued focus on improving discharge pathways and reducing ambulance handover delays. 

No further detail is provided in the February performance paper on specific discharge interventions beyond ongoing oversight and winter actions. 

Source 

• NHS England. Integrated Performance Report, Board Paper, February 2026 (Item 4.1).
• NHS England. Minutes of the Public Meeting of the NHS England Board, 4 December 2025.