Ambulance response is slower in Lothians

AMBULANCES in the Lothians take longer than the national average to respond to general emergency calls, figures have shown.

Last year the mean time it took for an ambulance to arrive at a call was 9.6 minutes.

That is above the total result for Scotland which was nine minutes flat, and around the same time as the health board in Glasgow. However, for category A emergencies - deemed the most urgent - ambulances improved their time to 6.9 minutes, which is identical to the national average.

It is understood the congested nature of many of Edinburgh's streets, particularly during rush hours, contributed to the slower response time.

Rural health boards, particularly on the islands, struggled to meet Scottish average times.