Ambulance Services

Ambulance services in Norfolk faced extraordinary pressures during the pandemic. They have done an amazing job over the past two years, to the very best of their ability. Of course, they do that amazing job day in, day out; irrespective of pandemics, they always do everything they can to support those who need them.

 

In January 2022, ambulance services answered more than 800,000 calls. That is an increase of 11% on January 2020 and is one of the factors placing significant pressures on ambulance services, the NHS and the A&E departments in Norwich North.

 

Although 999 calls tend to highlight the demand related to more serious medical conditions, many ambulance services are also responsible for 111 calls, which, in December last year, saw an increase of 15.5% compared with December 2019.

 

I use these statistics to illustrate the demand pressures, but I understand that behind those numbers, in every case, lies a human story—a constituent in need of care, a constituent worried and anxious, with friends and family anxious for them—so I want to say that I understand constituents’ frustration who have suffered the impact of those service pressures. I also want to be very clear that constituents should expect and receive the highest standards of service and care.

 

That is why I recently wrote to the Chief Executive of the East of England Ambulance Service Trust (EEAST), making this exact case and asking for assurances on how improvements are being made to strengthen services to public demand.

 

I was pleased to hear of the following forthcoming improvements:

 

• Suffolk and Northeast Essex (SNEE) has been involved in a trial where an EEAST clinician assessing the database of patients the ambulance service is currently handling - and distributes these calls to partners across the urgent community response services. This will prioritise our ambulances for patients requiring an emergency response. EEAST intend to roll this approach out in Norfolk in the coming months.

 

• Recruiting and training over 100 call handlers - and are recruiting more - to help reduce call answering time.

 

• Increasing the number of private ambulances they have on shift. For Norfolk this will equate to around eight more ambulances being available each day.

 

• Recruiting additional clinical staff, with over 100 planned for the Norfolk this year – in the meantime EEAST are using non-clinical drivers who can buddy-up with their clinicians to

maximise the number of ambulances they are able to get on the road to meet the needs of constituents.

 

• Working closely with their hospitals to staff areas of the hospital or provide any other support to help tackle and reduce handover delays and release ambulances back into the community to meet patient need.

 

• Urgent community response teams provide urgent care to people in their homes, which helps to avoid hospital admissions. These services are expanding and the EEAST are working with partners to look at how they can support this.

 

These positive improvements show how hard the local ambulance trust is working to make the necessary changes to meet demand. I continue to offer my support to them where needed, but also challenge on behalf of constituents where problems arise.

 

I will continue to monitor this situation closely, and will keep constituents up to date with any further developments on this matter.

 

If I can help constituents with any matter, please do email me at chloe@chloesmith.org.uk or call me on 01603 414478.