Ambulances

There was success for the London Ambulance Service as it was restored to a two-star rating, after being downgraded to one star last year.

The improvement came after the service reached a key target, missed last year, of responding to three-quarters of the most urgent calls within eight minutes - a time critical when dealing with heart-attack victims.

The proportion of Category A calls reached within the time limit has jumped from 71 per cent to 80 per cent.

Ambulance chiefs said the main reason for the improvement was the addition of 280 frontline staff over two years.

Vehicles have been fitted with new equipment including 12-lead electrocardiograms which tell hospital doctors about the condition of heart-attack victims while they are in transit.

A pioneering scheme that prevents ambulances from being sent to timewasting callers has allowed a speedier response to real emergencies.

And new procedures for ambulance workers to report suspected child-abuse cases led to 300 referrals in the first six months.

Peter Bradley, chief executive of London Ambulance Service, said: "We have worked hard over the past 12 months to improve services for our patients and we are pleased that this has been recognised."

A year ago the Healthcare Commission condemned the service for leaving one in seven Catagory A callers waiting 14 minutes or longer.