People are getting better than average care from health services in West Kent when they have an emergency or need to be seen urgently, according to a report released today.

The Healthcare Commission review of urgent and emergency care services found those in the West Kent Primary Care Trust area were rated “better performing” – the second highest category out of four.

The area received top ratings including the time for responding to 999 ambulance calls and the percentage of patients dealt with within four hours of arrival at A&E and an urgent care centre.

It fared less well for the experiences patients felt they had had in A&E and the percentage of patients dealt with within four hours of arriving at A&E.

Anna Walker, the commission’s chief executive, said: “Urgent and emergency services are to be congratulated for the work they have done to improve access to services. There have been real improvements in the number of people getting urgent care quickly...But more could be done to get these services working together so that the right care is provided at the right time and in the right way.”