Salisbury ambulance response times doubled during major A36 roadworks

New data shows average ambulance response times for some call-outs nearly doubled between March and June as National Highways was replacing signals at key A36 roundabouts and introducing lane closures.

Average response times for less urgent Category 3 incidents doubled from 1 hour 18 minutes in March to 2 hours 36 minutes in June, before improving to 1 hour 47 minutes in July after much of the signal work was completed.

Category 2 response times rose from 27 minutes in March to 45 minutes in June before falling to 37 minutes in July.

The rise coincided with a major programme of A36 works across Salisbury.

(Image: Spencer Mulholland)

National Highways began a £23 million improvement scheme on January 19, 2026, focused on some of the city's busiest junctions. The first phase ran through much of February and March, replacing 32-year-old signals at Castle and St Mark's roundabouts and requiring lane closures.

A second phase began at St Paul's Roundabout on June 1 and ran through July, with further signal upgrades and roadworks on another key route into the city.

At Salisbury District Hospital, Category 3 response times rose from 1 hour 19 minutes in March to 2 hours 30 minutes in May.

Across the wider Salisbury area, average response times rose from 42 minutes in March to 1 hour 9 minutes in May before improving to 54 minutes in July.

The slowdown was widespread: 17 of the 20 postcode sectors recorded their slowest average response times in May or June, with the biggest increases in parts of the surrounding countryside.

The three roundabouts form one of the busiest sections of the A36 through Salisbury, with about 33,500 vehicles using the stretch between College and St Mark’s roundabouts each day, according to National Highways. The organisation says the work is intended to improve traffic flow and reduce delays in the long term.

The data does not prove the roadworks caused ambulance delays, and the South Western Ambulance Service could not say whether crews were affected by closures, congestion or temporary traffic measures.

A spokesperson from the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) said: “Whilst ambulance response times in Salisbury increased during the period of the A36 improvement works, a review of local performance data alongside the Trust’s operational intelligence has not identified any direct impact on service delivery attributable to the roadworks.

"National Highways maintained access for emergency vehicles throughout the works, and no evidence has been identified to indicate that patients were unable to receive ambulance services as a result of the scheme.”

National Highways said: "We take the impact of roadworks on emergency service response times extremely seriously, and this is built into how we plan and deliver our A36 corridor works. We work closely with ambulance and other emergency services throughout, ensuring our traffic management includes clear provisions for blue-light access at all times.

"On single-carriageway roads like the A36, we know congestion can be more challenging to manage than on a motorway, which is why we keep any signal-controlled sections as short as possible and can manually clear the way for emergency vehicles when needed.

“We also share live works information directly with ambulance control rooms so crews can plan routes accordingly.”

Ambulance demand and wider pressure on the health service may also have affected response times.

The figures show response times worsened in May and June during major A36 works before improving in July, but they cannot prove the roadworks caused the delays.