Ambulance crews are failing to meet emergency response targets in 10 out of Scotland�s 12 health board areas, Labour said yesterday.

Ambulance crews are failing to meet emergency response targets in 10 out of Scotland's 12 health board areas, Labour said yesterday.

Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) crews should respond to 75% of life-threatening 999 calls within eight minutes - a target the party said is being missed in nearly every region.

Figures provided by the party showed that, in the Borders, only 55.4% of category A calls were answered on time this year. The two health board areas to achieve the 75% target were Argyll and Clyde and Grampian.

Labour's Jackie Baillie accused ministers of attempting to cover up slower response times in rural and remote areas by adopting national targets.

The MSP said: "Experts agree that when a patient has serious injuries, or suffers a condition like a heart attack, the speed of the response can mean the difference between life and death.

"Rural areas of Scotland deserve the same level of service as urban areas. The SNP Government's decision to downgrade performance targets will inevitably make the situation worse."

Labour health spokeswoman Margaret Curran said: "I am very concerned that the Scottish Ambulance Service is failing to meet its target response times.

"What's worse is that SNP ministers have admitted they want to cover up this failure by reducing the performance target. SNP ministers must understand that their decision will lead to a slower service in many parts of Scotland, which will inevitably cost lives."

Public Health Minister Shona Robison said it was important to ensure that performance targets were "challenging but deliverable".

Ms Robison said: "We recognise that achievement at a Scotland-wide level will mean that there may be some communities where this target is not routinely being met.

"That is why the Scottish Government is looking for the SAS to demonstrate that across all parts of Scotland it is working to secure continuous improvement, particularly in remote and rural areas.

"The Scottish Government and the SAS are committed to ensuring safe, efficient and effective health services across all parts of Scotland, including remote and rural areas."