Matthew Hogan says the province needs to improve response times. (CBC)

There was more money for ambulance services in the P.E.I. budget introduced Thursday, but some question what that new funding could achieve.

Overall, the budget line for ambulance service is up $1.2 million, but a third of that is to cover increases in costs that were previously planned for, leaving $800,000 as an incremental increase.

Part of that money will go to cover a new program, launched April 1, that pays for emergency ambulance service for seniors. It will also purchase what is called a multi-patient transfer unit, a vehicle to transfer several patients at once between hospitals.

It's not clear how much will be left after that, and the government is still considering exactly how to spend it.

"We've got an $800,000 investment in system enhancements, and those enhancements will come in vehicles, equipment, staffing. It'll be a range," said Health Minister Doug Currie.

But the Island's paramedics say promising new vehicles with that amount of money could be a stretch.

"It's not really adding up for us," said Matthew Hogan, president of the P.E.I. Paramedics Association.

"We understand that to put a fully staffed ambulance on the road, we don't know exactly, but we're looking at around a half-million dollars, so it is a significant investment. Right now I guess we'd say we're anxious to find out where the $800,000 is going to go."

Hogan said the province has to commit to improve response times.

The current guarantee is people should see an ambulance at their door or accident scene within 25 minutes, and he said that needs to be shortened.