The East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) set out its intentions to purchase new ambulances earlier this year and 120 replacements are now in use.

The planned completion of the roll-out was the end of June, and EEAST Chief Executive Dr Anthony Marsh said, “I’m delighted that these ambulances have now been delivered across the region; our staff have worked incredibly hard in order to make this happen so quickly. But this is just the beginning and as the fleet replacement programme continues this year, we will have no vehicle older than five years by spring next year.

“We’re also working hard to achieve my other key priorities which include recruiting 400 new paramedics and up-skilling our emergency care assistants and emergency medical technicians. We know we have a lot of work to do in order to improve the service, but this is a great sign that we are on the right track.”

The final ambulance of the 120 replacements was delivered to Peterborough ambulance station [You can view the video here].

Assistant General Manager Phil Parr said, “The ambulances are a great addition to the fleet and we’re really pleased that the new Chief Executive has made this a priority. It’s important that we not only have as many ambulances on the road as possible, but also that they are in good working condition so that they are both reliable and the best environment in which to treat our patients.”

EEAST has also put in a replacement programme of 68 rapid response cars with new Skoda Scouts.