The East of England has some of the worst ambulance response times in the country, especially in rural areas like large parts of Suffolk Coastal.
I have been leading the campaign to improve response times and get a better deal for patients. After much hard work the service has undergone a lot of positive change over the last few years and long ambulance delays are becoming increasingly rare. I will continue to press the case to make sure the service continues to improve.
Therese hosted another meeting in Parliament this week for the Chief Executive of the East of England Ambulance Trust to update MPs on the Independent Service Review – to continue to improve ambulance response times - and the Serious Incidents review.
Therese said; "It was good to have Dr Ed Garrett, who negotiates the contract on behalf of all CCGs there, which recently announced plans to increase the funding for the ambulance service from £213.5m in 2017/18 to £225m in 2018/19 rising again to £240m in 2019/20. Dr Brown from NHS Improvement also attended."
"It was confirmed at the meeting that the biggest increase in paramedic numbers as a result of this investment would be in Suffolk and Norfolk, which is very welcome news. There was further good news on staff retention – which is now much, much better."
Therese added: "The Chief Executive also gave assurances that they are continuing to reduce the number of rapid response vehicles that stop the clock on response times but that are then unable to transport patients to hospital – and instead invest in 160 double staffed ambulances."
"This was one of the most positive meetings on the subject I have attended – and it seems that everything is coming together to continue to improve the service."
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E-mail: therese.coffey.mp@parliament.uk
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