Ambulances attending life-threatening emergencies across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight are reaching patients considerably faster than they were a year ago, according to new data shared by Island Labour.
For category 2 calls – which cover conditions including heart attacks and strokes – the average response time in February 2026 came in at 29 minutes and 14 seconds.
A sharp monthly improvement
Just one month earlier, in January 2026, crews were taking an average of 36 minutes and 28 seconds to reach the same category of patient – meaning February’s figure represents a reduction of more than seven minutes in a single month.
The picture looks encouraging when set against the longer-term trend too. In February 2024, under the previous Conservative government, the average category 2 response time was 32 minutes and 50 seconds – more than three and a half minutes slower than the latest figure.
Funding and infrastructure
Labour attributes part of the improvement to a substantial increase in investment, with £450 million in additional funding committed through the 2025/26 emergency care plan.
Closer to home, the Island’s ambulance station has undergone a practical upgrade: £72,000 worth of solar panels now supply part of the station’s energy needs, with projected annual savings of around £21,000 available to redirect into patient-facing services.
What the local party says
Island Labour’s Jenny Hicks, who published the analysis, welcomed the trend while stopping short of declaring the job done. She said,
“We need an NHS that is there for Islanders when they need it.
“That’s why these figures are so important. Ambulances are responding to emergencies like heart attacks and strokes faster — and that means faster life-saving care and better outcomes.”
She pointed to wider signs of recovery across the health service, while acknowledging the distance still to travel.
Jenny continued,
“Month by month, our NHS is getting back on its feet.
“There is an awfully long way to go, but thanks to the hard work of NHS staff, and Labour’s investment and reform across the country, ambulances are getting to patients in need quicker, waiting lists are coming down, and more people are able to see their GP more quickly.”
The NHS privatisation debate
Jenny Hicks also took aim at recent remarks from Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who has raised the prospect of replacing the NHS with a private health insurance model.
Jenny Hicks said,
“The Tories wrecked our NHS but Labour is getting it back on its feet.
“We are improving our health service through the reform and investment it needs – and we utterly reject Nigel Farage’s suggestion that we need to look at abolishing our health service and replacing it with private health insurance. The NHS is safe with Labour.”
