South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) is asking the public’s support as it prepares for an increase in calls in the build up to Christmas. December 2024 saw teams handle close to 90,000 calls to 999 – close to a 10 per cent increase on the previous month. As demand increases throughout this December, busy days are particularly expected after long bank holiday periods, where calls to 999 call
Statement from Keith Willett, South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) Chair & Michael Whitehouse, South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) Chair: Following the announcement on 29 October 2025 that SCAS and SECAmb are joining forces to create the first Ambulance Group model, we are pleased to confirm that recruitment for the Group Chair and Group CEO roles is now under way. This week, SCAS C
A SECAmb NHS 111 Paramedic and Clinical Advisor plays a leading role in a new national campaign launched by NHS England today (4 December). Kent-based, Natalie Randall, stars in the campaign, which centres on a short film – ‘24 Hours not in A&E’. Playing homage to the format of popular TV documentary ‘24 Hours in A&E’, the film is set over the course of a single day. It follows real-life s
HART operative Hannah Mitchelmore is breaking boundaries as well as developing new skills to improve patient care and safety. Hannah has just passed the final assessment to qualify as the first female Rope Rescue Operator Instructor in SECAmb. Literal high points of the course included hanging in suspension underneath the Tamar Bridge in Plymouth and working at the top of a 120m high reservoir int
The operating uniform for SECAmb’s Hazardous Area Response Teams (HART) is changing colour. New ground kit designed in high visibility yellow and navy blue will provide enhanced protection for specialist operations. While the new PPE means better safety for teams operating in high-risk environments, having to change from the former green uniform does pose some challenges. “HART operatives ha
More than nine out of 10 (93 per cent) of patients strongly agreed they were treated with dignity and respect by South East Coast Ambulance (SECAmb) clinicians ambulance crews with 92 per cent strongly agreeing that the care arranged or carried out was appropriate. The feedback comes from the SECAmb’s latest Patient Experience questionnaire, which collected the views of 252 members of the public b
The NHS 10-year plan and what it means for South East Coast Ambulance Service will be the topic for the Trust’s next online Community Forum. The bi-monthly virtual forum, hosted by our Patient Engagement Team, is open to anyone with an interest in the ambulance service and will take place on Wednesday 3 December between 10am-12pm. Providing an opportunity for people to learn more about the Trust a
South East Coast Ambulance Service’s (SECAmb) Eastbourne Area Community First Responder Team has been honoured with the prestigious King’s Award for Voluntary Service – the highest accolade a voluntary group can receive in the UK. With the team having responded to more than 1,000 incidents since the start of the year, the award recognises their commitment to serving the local community thro
South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) is proud that Sussex Paramedic, Steph Meech, has been elected to the position of Deputy Chair of the National Ambulance LGBT+ Network. Steph, a Paramedic Practitioner and Operational Team Leader, who works out of Polegate, took up the position this month following a decade of active involvement in the network, which was launched at Brighton and Hove Pri
As we head towards Remembrance Sunday, the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal rightly takes national prominence, supported as always by SECAmb. However, fundraising to show support for the Armed Forces community goes on all year round. Someone who has helped the RBL raise many thousands of pounds is Nicola Sykes, a member of the ambulance service for 26 years and an Operational Team Leader at the