South East Coast ambulance trust leads England for cardiac arrest survival

South East Coast Ambulance Service has recorded England’s highest 30-day survival rate for patients experiencing an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, according to the latest NHS figures.

The trust achieved a survival rate of 17.2% in May 2026, its highest monthly result on record and considerably above the national average of 10.2%. Its previous monthly record was 15.9%, reached in June and August 2023.

Survival depends on the entire emergency response, beginning with somebody recognising the cardiac arrest and calling 999. Early CPR, access to a defibrillator, guidance from call handlers, ambulance treatment and subsequent hospital care can all influence whether a person survives.

The trust has credited the combined work of members of the public, community first responders, emergency control staff, ambulance clinicians and hospital teams. Its longer-term strategy aims to increase cardiac arrest survival by a further five percentage points by 2029.

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