NEARLY all ambulance 999 calls in Lancashire are answered within 19 minutes, according to the service's annual report.

In 70 per cent of cases, the response time is less than eight minutes.

The Lancashire Ambulance Service Trust has also managed to increase its ability to respond quickly to accidents despite a 10 per cent growth in workload.

Chief executive David Hill said the national league tables for ambulance services showed Lancashire to be among the top performers. He added that each emergency ambulance now had a qualified paramedic and the service was introducing 16 new fully-equipped ambulances.

He said: "In the coming year we shall continue to introduce improvements.

"We will be launching a major initiative aimed at training the public in cardio-pulmonary resuscitation and basic life support techniques.

"We will also be developing the advice we offer to 999 callers over the telephone until paramedic assistance arrives."

Complaints against the service also fell, although there were still 104 complaints, of which 64 were upheld. There were 396 letters of appreciation from grateful patients.

The Trust had a surplus of £520,000 at the end of the last financial year and met all its statutory financial targets.

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