Therese met the Chief Executive of the East of England Ambulance Service, Tom Abell, in Parliament last week to get an update on the turnaround plan and their latest performance. It’s a subject Therese has been focused on for a number of years, scrutinising response times and pressing for further improvements on behalf of patients and staff.
Therese said: “I know constituents remain concerned about the performance of our ambulance service and I continue to hold the leadership to account on behalf of patients. It was a useful meeting, focusing on what the trust is doing to retain staff. I was surprised to learn that previously there has been a rotating shift pattern, meaning the same two paramedics wouldn’t regularly be put on the same shift together. I’m pleased that’s now changing, boosting morale. I was also pleased to see that staff turnover has halved in recent months.”
Therese added: “There are still issues with handover delays especially at the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital, meaning it’s taking longer for ambulances to get back out on the road. I have, therefore, written to both the Secretary of State, Steve Barclay and the hospital’s Chief Executive, Sam Higginson, asking them to urgently address this matter.”
