A target for ambulances to respond to the most urgent 999 calls in eight minutes could be changed after services missed the mark for more than four years.

Jeremy Miles, who was appointed Wales’ health secretary in September, announced a clinician-led review of the appropriateness of emergency ambulance response targets.

The target of responding to 65% of immediately life-threatening “red” calls within eight minutes has not been met since July 2020, with latest performance standing at 50 per cent.

In a statement on November 26, Mr Miles raised concerns about “unstainable” levels of demand, with 36,700 emergency calls in October, an average of 1,183 a day.

He told the Senedd the proportion of red category calls has soared from four to five per cent when the target was introduced in 2015 to nearer 15 per cent today.

Mr Miles said the ambulance service received 177 'red' calls a day in October.

He said: "This was the second highest number of daily red calls to the ambulance service on record – a level of demand that is, frankly, becoming unsustainable.

“Despite the fact that the category of red calls is now approximately three times the size since the target was set in 2015, in October just over half of red calls were responded to within the target time of eight minutes.

“The ambulance service is still off target but this equates to the highest number of red calls responded to within eight minutes on record.”

He announced an expert group will review the target in the context of the Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust’s evolving model of rapid clinical screening for most 999 calls.

Mr Miles said the group will consider whether new measures are required, with no response time targets currently in place for the amber nor green categories.

Sam Rowlands, the Conservatives’ shadow health secretary, suggested any change to the target could be seen as the Welsh Government trying to move the goalposts.

Mr Rowlands expressed concerns about handover delays at emergency departments, recognising a big part of the challenge remains outside the ambulance service’s control.