Second critical incident in a month declared at East of England Ambulance Service Trust

Health bosses at the East of England Ambulance Service Trust have declared a critical incident due to 999 call volumes and hospital handover delays for the second time this month.

EEAST declared the ‘Business Continuity Incident’ last night (Wednesday, December 28).

Ambulance staff are said to be working “incredibly hard in challenging circumstances” as they try to respond to calls “as quickly as possible”.

The trust said people should only call 999 for life threatening or serious injuries. They urged the public to use 111 online, speak to their GP or use a minor injuries centre for everything else.

A statement from the service said: “Declaring a Business Continuity Incident means we can ensure our resources are focused on patients with the greatest need, as well as allowing us to access wider support from our health and care partners.

“Our staff continue to work incredibly hard in challenging circumstances, to respond to calls and incidents as quickly as possible.

“If you need to contact us because of a life-threatening condition or serious injury, then call 999. For everything else, we would urge you to please use 111 online, speak to your GP or use a minor injuries centre.”

Being at Business Continuity Incident allows the service to prioritise the sickest patients and those unable to make their own way to hospital, as well as allowing the cancellation of some staff meetings, training and assessment.

Hospitals and other NHS services will also be asked to release EEAST crews as a priority.

The ambulance service covers Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Essex.

EEAST called a critical incident earlier this month on December 19, standing down again on December 21.

The news comes as ambulance staff across the country begin strike action in a dispute over pay. No strike action will be held by workers within EEAST.