Update from CEO Dr Anthony Marsh: 'seven months on'

As of the start of this week, 325 conditional offers have been made for the student paramedic programme, with 47 of our ECAs joining the pathway as well (making 372 total offers). At the moment, 72 of those are on their initial course and 96 are already out on the road. And I’m pleased to say we’re improving things internally too; 200 of our own existing students will qualify as paramedics next year through completing their Module 7 course, we’ve trained 23 ECAs to EMT level (with another 12 ECAs starting this week), 24 EMTs have started on their paramedic progression programme, and 30 PTS staff are progressing onto the healthcare referral team vehicles as well. We’ve also welcomed new staff into our EOCs – with 21 new call handlers and 11 dispatchers joining the teams in the last few months alone. We are also continuing to recruit additional EOC staff to keep up with the increased demand and in preparation for the winter. Employing and developing the best staff who are able to provide our patients with the best care is still our top priority - and this remains at the heart of everything I do. 

We’re also continuing to bolster our fleet; another 120 new emergency ambulances have been ordered to replace some of the old and out-of-date vehicles you’re currently having to use. Each of these 120 will be delivered will all new emergency equipment on board as well. The first five of these are due to be out on the road next month, with all 120 scheduled to be operational by March next year as follows:

 *   Cambridgeshire = 22

 *   Bedfordshire = 1

 *   Hertfordshire = 6

 *   Norfolk = 35

 *   Suffolk = 15

 *   Essex = 41 

When these ambulances are all operational by March, we will have no frontline vehicle older than five years. We do have a long way to go, but remember each new student, each new vehicle, and each staff member that is given the opportunity to progress, is another small step. And over time, those small steps will add up to big improvements.

Published 28th August, 2014