999 patients forced to wait up to five hours for an ambulance, Telegraph investigation reveals

‘999 patients classed as “life threatening” are being forced to wait hours for an ambulance, with delays of up to five hours in some cases, an investigation has found.
Under NHS targets, patients in the most grave emergencies – which include cardiac arrests, airway obstructions and strokes – are supposed to receive a response within eight minutes, in 75 per cent of cases.
But the target has been repeatedly missed in recent years, amid growing pressures on emergency services.
Now Freedom of Information disclosures reveal that thousands of patients are being forced to wait far longer, with desperately time-sensitive emergencies being left for hours.’
Read more: 999 patients forced to wait up to five hours for an ambulance, Telegraph investigation reveals