The number of ambulances responding to emergencies within a target time has dropped sharply.

Figures revealed this month show that only 55 per cent of Haringey's ambulances called in August reached their destination within a target time set by the London Ambulance Service.

The figure is a drop of 20 per cent from March, when 76 per cent of ambulances responded in time.

London Ambulance Service sets itself a target that 75 per cent of ambulances respond to callouts for life-threatening conditions within eight minutes.

Although Haringey’s latest response times are among the worst five boroughs in London, the recent drop follows a London-wide trend.

However, the drop between March and August shows a serious decline.

The London Ambulance Service (LAS) figures show the number of ambulances reaching category A destinations within target was 73.51 per cent in 2012/2013, 71.78 per cent the previous year, and 71.53 per cent in 2010/11.

Another document released by the service in response to a Freedom of Information request shows that between June 2013 and June 2014, 216 paramedics left the ambulance service, but only 38 joined.

Tottenham MP David Lammy said the figures  were “deeply concerning”, especially in light of recent reports about the shortage of GPs in the borough.

He said: “It is simply not acceptable that the residents of Haringey are not only experiencing severe difficulty accessing GP appointments, but they are now faced with the prospect that ambulances are not reaching them within target times.”

He added that government closures of Accident and Emergency departments would only leave ambulances queuing longer outside hospitals.

Lynne Featherstone, MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, agreed the figures were concerning.

She said: “I’ll be in touch with the Chief Executive Officer at the London Ambulance service to request an explanation, and am happy to approach NHS England and the Department of Health to request extra support if necessary.”

Paul Gibson, London Ambulance Service's ambulance manager in Haringey, said: “Every year demand on our service increases and we are responding to nine per cent more patients in a serious and life-threatening condition than last year.

“This means it can take longer to reach some patients than we would like, but we always prioritise our response to people who are more seriously ill and injured.

“There is also a shortage of paramedics in the UK, which is making it difficult to recruit, however, we’ve launched a national and international recruitment campaign to bring in 500 more frontline staff across London.”