HAMPSHIRE Ambulance Service is in line for a cash bonanza after hitting emergency response time targets.

Latest figures show the service has attended more than 75 per cent of life threatening 999 calls within eight minutes each and every month since April.

Now Hampshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust is set to receive a £60,000 reward under a new government incentive scheme.

The Department of Health programme awards a £40,000 payment to trusts which respond to 75 per cent or more of their category A calls in eight minutes or less.

Hampshire Ambulance Service qualifies for the pay-out after responding to up to 100,000 life threatening 999 calls during April, May and June.

It has also qualified for two further payments of £10,000 after hitting the targets for July and August.

The percentage of category A 999 calls responded to within eight minutes has been:

April 2004 - 79.44 per cent

May 2004 - 76.8 per cent

June 2004 - 78.52 per cent

July 2004 - 76.64 per cent

August 2004 - 75.01 per cent

The figures are a distinct improvement on last year, when the trust averaged 74.01 per cent of life-threatening 999 calls attended within eight minutes.

Clare Severgnini, Hampshire Ambulance Service's chief executive, said: "We are extremely pleased to be receiving this extra capital funding, which recognises and rewards our improved performance.

"We intend to allocate the funding to purchase medical equipment. The allocation of capital funding priorities is managed by a multi-disciplinary team made up of representatives from across the trust."

The cash injection is much needed by Hampshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, which last year recorded a deficit of £1.7m.

In July, the trust received the lowest possible performance rating of zero stars for the second year running.

Union leaders blame the historic lack of funding for Hampshire Ambulance Service's current situation.