GOVERNMENT league tables now rank Lancashire Ambulance Service the third best performer in rural areas.

New figures for the 12 months to April 1, 1999, show that Lancashire paramedics reached 69 per cent of life-threatening calls within eight minutes and 97 per cent within 19.

Lancashire now has the best ambulance service in the North West for answering emergency calls - despite having to deal with a six per cent rise in the number of calls in the past year.

Service chief executive David Hill said: "The figures confirm that we have once again achieved levels of performance which are the envy of most services in the country.

"Although we have invested in a hi-tec control room and ensure that our vehicles are replaced on a five year basis, the credit for the continued level of performance must go to our control room staff and particularly our ambulance crews.

"And not only for the speed of their response, but also the quality of care they give to patients."

Mr Hill revealed that discussions with health authorities were taking place to help the service meet the target of reaching 75 per cent of all emergency calls within eight minutes by 2001.

He added: "I firmly believe that getting help to people more quickly is vital to give patients the best chance of making a full recovery."

One such patient is 76-year-old Terry Saunby from Leyland. He suffered a heart attack at home and paramedics arrived in just six minutes.

Terry said: "The treatment I received was second to none - the crew put me on a drip and gave me treatment all the way to the hospital.

"I cannot speak of them highly enough - they were obviously very experienced.

"I'm not surprised they have done so well in the performance tables.

"I will always be grateful to them. I believe they saved my life."

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.