Private Firms Used For 999 Ambulance Calls

East Midlands Ambulance Service has paid private firms more than £7.5m to respond to emergency calls in less than two years due to staff and vehicle shortages,

The figure’s been released following a Freedom Of Information Request by Hfm.

The service is increasingly relying on private companies to respond to emergencies, with over 16,000 999 calls attended by them in Leicestershire and Northamptonshire so far this year – a 34% on 2017.

Harborough health campaigner Phil Knowles has expressed his concern:

Unions say all ambulances should be NHS-run and blame high sickness levels amongst paramedics brought on by job-related stress as one reason for the issue.

Emas say the rise is due to an increase in demand and it’s working on a new workforce model and has secured additional government cash to recruit new paramedics and ambulances.

In the short-term it says it has to use private providers but this should reduce next year.

East Midlands Ambulance Service is also investing in extra clinical staff (280-plus by the end of the current financial year), ambulances and other resources to help respond more quickly and more consistently to 999 calls and urgent GP requests.

Between now and the end of December, 47 Urgent Care Ambulances will be introduced across the East Midlands to support our newly recruited Urgent Care Assistants.

Following the recent introduction of 68 new accident and emergency ambulances, a further 67 will come into service between December and March.

Of these, 40 are replacements and 27 are additional vehicles.

A spokesman added: “We recognise that working on the frontline for a 999 emergency service can place our staff in traumatic situations and we invest heavily in supporting staff and managers to help keep our people both physically and mentally fit for work.”