The GMB union says First Responders – volunteers with first aid training – and rapid response vehicles should not be included in the eight-minute response time for life- threatening calls.

It claims the target should only be met if the incident is attended by a fully-crewed ambulance.

An ambulance service spokesman said the accusation it is distorting figures is untrue.

The GMB pointed to the case of a man in West Mersea who waited for two-and-a-half-hours with a broken hip.

via Gazette.

The East of England Ambulance Service said a collision involving a van happened at about 10:25 GMT in Main Road, Danbury.

The patient, aged in his 70s, was cut free and moved into another ambulance. His condition is stable.

Three ambulance staff suffered minor injuries. The van driver was unhurt.

The ambulance was taking the patient from Great Totham, near Maldon, to Broomfield Hospital, Chelmsford.

via BBC News

The GMB said the trust was marking 999 calls as “target met” when the emergency was still ongoing, to hit targets.

The trust strongly denied the accusation, calling the claims “untrue, unacceptable and very disappointing”.

The EEAST has reached its targets over the past year.

‘Distorting figures’

Mick Vivian, a GMB organiser, said in a statement: “One thing they cannot allow is management distorting the figures on targets met because this simply misleads the public and everybody else.

“GMB wants to see an end to such form filling.”

via BBC News

Police were contacted in the early hours of New Year’s Day after reports a rapid response car had been stolen from Valley Road, Clacton in Essex.

The Honda Accord’s tracker was activated and police pursued it on the southbound carriageway of the A12.

via BBC News 

Ambulance paramedics, non-emergency crews and control room and support staff will be providing clinical care 24/7 to the region throughout the festive celebrations.

via Bedfordshire Local News

The ambulance was rushing to an emergency with its lights and siren on when it was involved in a collision with a blue Mercedes SL500 on the B530 near Ampthill on Thursday (July 9).

via Bedford Today.

During yesterday’s meetings medics mentioned that a 67-year-old man from Needham Market who died after suffering a serious heart attack on Thursday.

The ambulance service was called at just after 1pm to Quinton Road in the town where the man was suffering chest pains.

via Evening Star 24.

An inquest into the death of Artur Palchimowicz heard the 22-year-old had little chance of recovering from the injuries he sustained in the crash, but the coroner at his inquest said the blunder by ambulance staff was “deeply concerning”.

The inquest heard how paramedics had covered Mr Palchimowicz’s body with a tarpaulin after the crash on the A140 between Long Stratton and Norwich just days before Christmas last December.

It was only when a policeman lifted the covering that he realised Mr Palchimowicz was still breathing.

The inquest heard paramedics had failed to do an electro-cardiogram (ECG) check on the victim, which is standard procedure before pronouncing somebody dead.

It was only when a senior paramedic arrived on the scene that the test was carried out, and then the victim was treated and taken to hospital, where he died nearly three hours later.

via Evening News 24.

Edward Eaton, 64, thought he was suffering a bout of anxiety when he started gasping for breath at his home in West Street, Southend.

He dialled 999 and paramedics Brian Hilberry and Sarah Thorne turned up and quickly spotted his ankles and stomach were swollen, meaning something was seriously wrong with his heart.

via Echo.

A 93-year-old woman was led out of the property in Great Ellingham by the paramedics before fire crews arrived.

via Teletext .