EEAST CEO pays tribute to control room staff

 

East of England Ambulance Service (EEAST) CEO Tom Abell has expressed his immense gratitude to the hard work of EEAST’s control room teams at the start of International Control Room Week.  

 

More than 800 people work in EEAST’s three Emergency Operations Centres (EOC) and are a vital part of the ambulance service.  

 

Each day more than 3,000 emergency 999 calls are answered and processed by the teams in Bedford, Chelmsford and Norwich – often to send urgent response to patients.   

 

The teams include emergency medical dispatchers (call handlers and dispatchers), as well as clinical teams who make medical decisions on prioritising cases.  

 

The teams also support and arrange joint responses to incidents with other emergency services such as police, fire and coastguard.  

 

During International Control Room Week, from Monday 23^rd October to Sunday 29^th October, EEAST will be posting videos on social media of various roles within the control room.  

 

These include a call handler - the first point of contact when calling 999; a dispatcher who assigns ambulance crews by priority; a clinician in the Emergency Clinical Advice and Triage (ECAT) service who keeps a close eye on patients waiting for responses; and a call handler team leader.     

 

 

EEAST CEO Tom Abell said: 

 

“Our people in our Emergency Operations Centres (EOCs) work incredibly hard to keep our patients safe and it is right they are celebrated during International Control Room Week.  

  

“The work they do is integral to the service we provide to our communities.”   

 

If you want a job that gives you the opportunity to make a difference, start your #CareerForLife with EEAST today. You can find out more about careers and volunteering opportunities at www.eastamb.nhs.uk/join-the-team