Annual report 2007/08 published

Please click the image or here to download the entire document.

Hard copies will be available soon and to request a copy please email engage@eastamb.nhs.uk

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Sharp rise in emergency calls

The number of people with relatively minor problems who call an emergency ambulance has rocketed in the past five years, according to latest figures.

In June 2003, ambulance crews in the east of England responded to 35,145 emergency calls, but by last month that number had risen by more than 10,000 to 46,090, up more than 30 per cent.
Rob Lawrence, chief locality officer for the East of England Ambulance Service (EEAS), said that while the number of people with serious problems had increased in line with an increasing and ageing population, the more significant rise was in people with more minor problems.
"We are seeing more and more people calling 999 who could get more appropriate treatment elsewhere in the NHS," he added.
"Were there really 10,000 more people in need of an emergency ambulance last month than the June of five years ago? We don't for one moment want to put off people with genuine emergencies from calling us, but with calls seemingly on a never-ending upward curve we need people to think about whether they really need an ambulance before making the call. This is particularly relevant over the summer, when the number of calls peaks during the type of hot weather forecast for this weekend.
"Our crews and responders are striving to meet the most challenging ambulance response times in the world, and we need the public on our side to help us reach those most in need of our help as quickly as possible."
Extra investment in the EEAS from the primary care trusts which commission the service across Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk has seen average response times slashed from eight minutes and 42 seconds in March to seven minutes and 28 seconds last month.
Since April 1 this year ambulance response times have been measured from the moment the 999 call is connected to control rooms in Bedford, Norwich and Chelmsford, as opposed to the previous system when the clock began to tick only after the patient's location and condition were known.
The target of reaching 75 per cent of potentially life threatening calls within eight minutes remains, but the eight minutes now really means eight minutes.
Mr Lawrence said: "Last month almost half of our patients did not need to be taken to hospital, indicating there is much scope for people to use other parts of the NHS for more minor problems."
There are a number of options available if patients cannot treat themselves, including calling NHS Direct on 0845 4647, or the local GP out-of-hours service (usually via your local GP surgery number). Both of these telephone-based services will divert patients to 999 if an ambulance is required.
NHS walk-in centres, pharmacies and local minor injuries units can also help.
However, people should not hestitate to ring 999 or visit A&E immediately for any of the following problems:
o suspected heart attack
o chest pains
o unconscious
o heavy blood loss
o suspected broken bones
o deep wounds or head injuries
o difficulty breathing

Ambulance staff celebrate awards

Between them they have more than 4,000 years of public service in one of the most demanding jobs in the country.

On Tuesday (May 13) evening ambulance staff from across the east of England gathered at Newmarket’s Rowley Mile racecourse to pay tribute to those who have served patients with distinction for at least 20 years.

It was the first awards evening for the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) since its formation in July 2006 by merging the services covering Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.

Click here to read all about the award winners.

Click here to read about our Community First Responder award winners.

Declaration submitted

The East of England Ambulance Service has submitted its annual declaration to the Healthcare Commission.

Ambulance services are assessed on 24 core standards within these domains, which cover a variety of criteria, as well as the traditional measurements of response times to emergency calls.

Other specific areas also targeted for assessment include pre-hospital thrombolysis, infection control and participation in audits.

Hayden Newton, chief executive of EEAST, said: “We believe that, by the end June, we will have met all of the Healthcare Commission’s core standards for the annual health check.

“This reflects great credit on all our staff, who have worked tremendously hard during a time of tremendous change."

To view the declaration click here

Saving time, saving lives

From April 1 this year, ambulance services nationwide must reach emergency 999 calls even quicker.

The new Call Connect standard is a new way of measuring ambulance response times, and means the clock will start ticking the moment a 999 call is put through to an emergency control centre.

At the moment, ambulance services start the clock only after the patient's location and medical problem are known - which typically takes up to 90 seconds.

However, our key response target of reaching 75% of life-threatening calls within eight minutes will remain the same, only this time it really will mean eight minutes.

The result will be the world's quickest-responding ambulance service.

Click here to download our Call Connect presentation to learn how we aim to tackle this tough new target.

Your ambulance service - the next 5 years

The Trust launched its Strategic Direction for the next five years at its annual general meeting in September.

The document (left) sets out our vision for the period 2007 to 2012. Among other things, it focusses on our intended application for Foundation Trust status, the idea of a single point of access for emergency and urgent care, and our use of knowledge management.

Click here to download the full document. Any comments can be emailed to engage@eastamb.nhs.uk

First Aid advice on the move

Download our potentially life-saving podcasts and make sure you have the latest first aid advice - at the touch of a clickwheel - thanks to our first aid audio centre.

Click here to download on to your iPod or any MP3 player seven small audio files from our audio library.

All the advice provided is up to date and complies with Resuscitation Council guidelines. Everyone hopes that they are never confronted with these situations, but it is far better to be prepared. And the chances are the victim will be somebody close to you.

Want to be a first responder?

We are looking for members of the public to either start or join Community First Responder groups in our region.

To find out more click here.