Ambulance service at highest alert amid unprecedented winter pressure

The East of England Ambulance Service (EEAST) has moved to REAP Level 4, the highest escalation level, in response to sustained high demand and increasing hospital handover delays.

Chief Executive Neil Moloney said there is now an “extraordinary level of pressure” across the health system nationally, prompting the move to the highest alert level.

Demand for ambulances has surged across the region. In the week ending 30 November, the service handled almost 24,000 emergency 999 calls, an increase of nearly 3,000 compared to the previous week. That figure rose again to more than 24,400 calls the following week.

“We have seen a huge spike in demand, driven by an increase in respiratory illness,” Mr Moloney said, “which means many hospitals are at capacity and our ambulance resources are stretched as a result.”

Hospitals across the East of England are facing rising pressure due to increased cases of flu and other viral respiratory illnesses. As a result, ambulance crews are experiencing longer handover delays, meaning vehicles and staff are tied up at hospitals for longer periods before they can respond to the next emergency.

EEAST has warned that patients may experience longer response times while the service works through the demand. Mr Moloney said: “If you have a medical emergency, we will get to you, but there may be a delay.”

By moving to REAP Level 4, the service can deploy additional clinicians to frontline duties and introduce further emergency measures aimed at protecting the most seriously ill patients.

“During periods of high demand, patients with immediately life-threatening conditions are our priority,” Mr Moloney added. “Those with less serious conditions will experience delays and may be referred to other NHS services or given self-care advice.”

The service is asking the public to help ease the pressure by choosing the right service for their needs. People with non-urgent medical problems are being urged to use NHS 111 for advice instead of calling 999.

“I urge the public to think carefully before using 999,” Mr Moloney said. “We apologise to anyone affected by these delays.”