During the seven-week period the reporter worked at the 111 service, colleagues told how there were sometimes not enough ambulances for patients. “We haven’t got any ambulance crews,” said the reporter’s coach.

However, some staff members advised the reporter to “err on the side of caution”. “It may not be a particularly management orientated view, but I would rather we get an ambulance out to somebody that doesn’t need it than not get an ambulance out to somebody that does need it,” said Mr Watts.

During the reporter’s training, the pressure to meet targets also became clear when Mr Watts, a senior staff member, warned that they should lock their computers to stop colleagues from using their login to change ambulance response times.

“In one case for the crew to have gone the distance they did in the time they said they did, their average speed would have needed to have been 110mph. I’ve not yet found an ambulance that does 110mph”.

Mr Watts said the individual he “caught” changing the data no longer worked for South Central.