AMBULANCE response times in England have hit a record high, with paramedics warning that patients’ lives are being put at risk. 

Figures released today show that the average response time in October for the most urgent incidents — defined as life-threatening illnesses or injuries such as a cardiac arrest — was nine minutes and 20 seconds, compared with a target of seven minutes.

For emergency calls such as burns, epilepsy and strokes, response times took an average of 53 minutes and 54 seconds — up from 45 minutes and 30 seconds in September — according to the NHS England figures.