The region's ambulance service has announced a turnaround plan after months of heavy criticism from staff and patients over care.
Bosses from the East of England Ambulance NHS Service Trust have this week revealed a plan to transform patient care and boost staff morale after failing an element of their Care Quality Commission inspection last month.
The plans include recruiting 82 specialist paramedics, 149 paramedics, 24 emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and 96 emergency care assistants, which coupled with reducing staff sickness and the spend on private ambulances, should enable the Trust to provide the equivalent of an extra 25 of its own 24/7 double staffed ambulances.
They are also pledging to try and reduce sickness absence by 1 per cent a month every month from June and 'invest' in their staff by relaunching the EMT career pathway and developing clear career pathways for front line staff.
Andrew Morgan, interim chief executive, said: "We need to improve the service we give to patients and better support our dedicated and committed staff.
"In addition to recruiting more people and putting more vehicles on the road earlier this year, we have developed short and medium term actions and, coupled with our organisational development strategy to better empower staff, these will help to start to transform the service.
"Transforming the organisation will take time but we have the staff and the focus to turn things around together."
Bosses from the East of England Ambulance NHS Service Trust have this week revealed a plan to transform patient care and boost staff morale after failing an element of their Care Quality Commission inspection last month.
The plans include recruiting 82 specialist paramedics, 149 paramedics, 24 emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and 96 emergency care assistants, which coupled with reducing staff sickness and the spend on private ambulances, should enable the Trust to provide the equivalent of an extra 25 of its own 24/7 double staffed ambulances.
They are also pledging to try and reduce sickness absence by 1 per cent a month every month from June and 'invest' in their staff by relaunching the EMT career pathway and developing clear career pathways for front line staff.
Andrew Morgan, interim chief executive, said: "We need to improve the service we give to patients and better support our dedicated and committed staff.
"In addition to recruiting more people and putting more vehicles on the road earlier this year, we have developed short and medium term actions and, coupled with our organisational development strategy to better empower staff, these will help to start to transform the service.
"Transforming the organisation will take time but we have the staff and the focus to turn things around together."
