SUFFOLK ambulance crews got to 70 per cent of life-threatening emergencies within eight minutes during February.That still misses the national target of 75pc, but is an improvement over the same month last year when the service got to 52 per cent in eight minutes –and had less calls.

SUFFOLK ambulance crews got to 70 per cent of life-threatening emergencies within eight minutes during February.

That still misses the national target of 75pc, but is an improvement over the same month last year when the service got to 52 per cent in eight minutes –and had less calls.

It is the first time that a county covered by the service has breached the 70 per cent barrier over a full month, but when Norfolk and Cambridgeshire are included it drops to 69.5pc.

Director of operations Paul Sutton said the service had made huge strides but still had work to do.

He said: "When you consider how far away we were from the target a year ago, it's been a real achievement by everyone at the trust to get this far this fast."

Crews in East Anglia also reached 95.3pc of all 999 calls within 19 minutes - just beating the national target of 95 pc.