Stephen Metcalfe, MP for South Basildon & East Thurrock, has visited some of the hardworking team at the East of England Ambulance Service to hear more about the unprecedented demand on ambulance teams and to thank them for their hard work under often difficult conditions.
The East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) serves a huge area of eastern England. It has a workforce of over 4,700 people and is responsible for over 6 million people. However, there is concern inside and outside of the Ambulance Service at current waiting times.
Stephen visited the EEAST Ambulance Station in Basildon on Friday 18th November to hear more about their operational struggles. This follows a visit over the summer to EEAST’s control centre in Chelmsford.
Stephen met with managers and paramedics to learn about the enormous challenges the crews face on the ground. These include an aging population, staff shortages, and bed blockages in local hospitals which leave ambulances waiting for hours to hand off patients before they can get back out on the road.
Stephen also met with new Hospital Ambulance Liaison Officers (HALOs), a possible solution to some of the Ambulance Service’s challenges. These HALO officers liaise with hospitals and ambulances to prevent bed blockages. This is the kind of system-wide solution that is needed to improve the flow of patients in, and out of, hospital. Adult social care, ambulances, and hospitals, need to co-ordinate their work to improve patient experiences and outcomes.
Stephen Metcalfe said: “A big thank you to the East of England Ambulance Service for taking the time to chat to me.
I acknowledge that changes need to be made to improve waiting times and to ensure that the Ambulance Service is working as efficiently as possible for the benefit of crews and patients alike.
I am encouraged by the new HALOs and believe that it is the first step to achieving this.
I will continue to monitor the challenges faced by the East of England Ambulance Service closely and support them as we work together to find a solution.”
