24-02-2025
Ambulance call centre 'saved from closure' union says
A 999 emergency call centre run by an ambulance service will remain open following a campaign, a union said.
The Bedford Emergency Operations Centre, run by East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST), was at risk of closure in September after the building was found not to be up to"modern control room standards".
The EEAST's board has now rejected the closure of the Hammond Road centre, citing the potential harm to patients and to the trust's reputation, according to the GMB Union.
Labour MP for Bedford and Kempston, Mohammad Yasin, as well as GMB Union's regional organiser, Donna Thomas, welcomed the news.
The trust has been contacted for comment.
The site deals with calls from Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and parts of Essex and Suffolk and is home to about 200 staff.
It also housed call handlers for the 111 service and the local patient transport service.
The trust was considering closing the site, repurposing it or refurbishing it.
An email sent to staff also acknowledged the trust had been recruiting and training more staff at its Norwich site, and Bedford workers were potentially going to relocate to Chelmsford, 48 miles (77km) or Norwich, 91 miles (146km) away.
Marika Stephenson, the trust's interim deputy chief executive officer, said in a statement at the time that the trust understood it was "a worrying time".
"We are refurbishing our call handling centres in Norwich and Chelmsford to provide the best service to our patients and a modern working environment for staff," she said.
"However, the constraints of the Hammond Road building in Bedford mean it is very difficult to bring it to modern control room standards."
Yasin said he welcomed the board's decision and hoped it meant "a renewed commitment to Bedford's emergency control centre and much-needed investment".
"Bedford is the busiest hub in the EEAST and its closure would have had a significant impact on the region," he added.
"Given how overstretched the ambulance service is, losing a control room would have risked compromising the safety of patients."
Ms Thomas added: "We welcome the announcement that EEAST's Board has reconsidered the reckless proposal to close Bedford EOC.
"The proposed closure would have had a serious knock-on effect on ambulance cover across the region and threatened public safety."
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