PEOPLE in Hampshire who called 999 because of a life-threatening situation were less likely to see an ambulance turn up within eight minutes than in other areas of the country, according to yearly figures.

Under Government guidelines, three-quarters of ambulances deployed to the most serious emergencies should arrive at the scene within eight minutes.

Information from the Department of Health, relating to the 2003/2004 financial year, shows that in Hampshire just 74.1 per cent are achieving the aim - which is below the national average of 75.7 per cent and outside of the key target.

However, bosses at Hampshire Ambulance Service say that figures for the last three months show the service is hitting the three-quarters target - achieving an average rate of 76.93 this financial year.

In addition, chiefs say the trust is improving in other areas, and Hampshire Ambulance Service is now the country's top-scoring service in relation to answering GP requests to take patients from their home to a hospital.

Claire Severgnini, who took over as chief executive at the trust last October after a management shake-up, said that it is the performance during the early part of 2003 that has pulled the average down.

Last year, the ambulance trust was one of five in the country to be awarded no stars out of a possible three in the Government's rating scheme.

Ambulance chiefs are not expecting a good result when this year's ratings are announced on July 19.

She said: "We have been performing to a really good two-star standard and it's unfortunate that we're going to get zero stars because of last year.

"The star rating comes to kick you when you have done months of good work. But recently, we have excelled and are really on track now."