AMBULANCE staff have been praised for improving their response times in Bolton and Greater Manchester by health minister Hazel Blears.

New targets to make sure ambulance staff reach 75 per cent of all patients within eight minutes have been achieved by the Greater Manchester Ambulance service.

Response times had been just 46 per cent 12 months ago.

But a cash injection of £4 million means paramedics are now reaching government standards.

Hazel Blears visited the GMAS headquarters yesterday praising staff saying that they should take great pride in their achievement.

Mrs Blears said: "The major elements in achieving this outstanding improvement have been careful planning, intelligent use of the extra funding that has been made available to modernise the service to meet NHS Plan targets and the sheer hard work and dedication of staff at all levels.

"There are lessons to be learned from the way in which you achieved these terrific improvements and a great many patients and their families, often faced with dire and frightening emergencies, have reason to be grateful to you."

GMAS has recruited 112 extra trainee paramedic staff training at Ladybridge Hall, Bolton.

There have been 26 new ambulances and 18 rapid response vehicles -- two of which work in Bolton's accident blackspots.