The East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) says taking every patient to hospital is no longer the most effective way to deliver care, as new figures show ambulance response times are improving despite rising demand.
The Trust has unveiled a new Patient Plan setting out how it intends to respond faster to life-threatening emergencies while helping more patients access treatment closer to home.
The announcement comes as the service reported faster response times across all emergency categories in May compared with the same month last year, despite receiving more than 5,000 additional 999 calls.
Changing approach
EEAST says the traditional expectation that an ambulance will automatically transport patients to hospital is now “outdated”.
Instead, the service wants more patients to receive specialist advice and treatment earlier, with clinicians helping people access the most appropriate care without necessarily having to attend a hospital.
The Trust says the approach will:
- Improve response times for the most seriously ill patients
- Help people access care closer to home, where appropriate
- Reduce unnecessary hospital visits
- Provide clearer advice when patients contact emergency services
- Better integrate ambulance, hospital, GP and community services
Simon Chase, Chief Paramedic at EEAST, said: “We are changing how care works so patients get the right help first time.
“An ambulance journey to hospital is not always the best option. What matters is getting the right care, quickly and safely.
“This plan will aim to deliver faster responses for the sickest patients, clearer advice when people call us, and more support closer to home where it is safe to do so.”
Response times improve
The Trust says the strategy is already helping improve performance.
For the most serious Category 2 emergencies, which include suspected strokes and severe chest pain, average response times fell from 32 minutes and 11 seconds in May 2025 to 29 minutes and 47 seconds in May 2026.
Response times for the most critical Category 1 incidents, including cardiac arrests, also improved from 8 minutes and 25 seconds to 8 minutes and 17 seconds.
Category 3 response times improved from one hour and 42 minutes to one hour and 28 minutes, while Category 4 response times fell from two hours and 49 minutes to one hour and 45 minutes.
Rising demand
The improvements come despite significant increases in demand across the region.
EEAST received 94,922 emergency calls during May, compared with 89,433 during the same month last year.
Ambulance crews attended 73,745 incidents face-to-face, an increase of more than 5,000 compared with May 2025.
The Trust also reported that almost 17 per cent of patients were successfully treated over the phone by clinicians, compared with less than 15 per cent a year earlier.
Officials say this allows ambulances to remain available for the most urgent emergencies.
| May 2025 | May 2026 | |
| Number of 999 calls | 89,433 | 94,922 |
| Face-to-face incidents attended | 68,366 | 73,745 |
| C1 response times | 8.25 mins | 8.17 mins |
| C2 Response times | 32.11 mins | 29.47 mins |
| C3 Response times | 1.42 hrs | 1.28 hrs |
| C4 Response times | 2.49 hrs | 1.45 hrs |
Preparing for winter
EEAST chief executive Neill Moloney said the service was improving performance while managing increasing pressures.
“We are becoming busier, both year-on-year and as we go into summer,” he said.
“We received over 5,000 more 999 calls in May this year compared with 2025, and attended over 5,000 more patients.
“We are maintaining improvements against a background of higher demand through recruiting more clinical staff, reducing off-road time for ambulance maintenance and repairs, and investing in a newer fleet.”
Mr Moloney praised ambulance crews, control room staff and support teams for the improvements, but said further progress was needed.
“There is still more that can be done, though. We need to build on our achievements throughout the summer so that we are prepared for the challenge of winter.”
