With the Met Office forecasting hotter than average temperatures in the coming weeks and with 999 call volume expected to increase by as much as 50 per cent in the hours after England World Cup matches, South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) is asking the public for its support as they cheer on the Three Lions or their country of choice this summer. During the most recent heatwave, a swelteri
A rare genetic heart condition that often shows no warning signs until it causes a cardiac arrest turned a normal day into a life-threatening emergency for a Hove based family. Brugada syndrome, which affects as few as 1 in 2,000 people in the UK, can cause sudden cardiac death and is sometimes only discovered after someone collapses. This was the case for Andrew Lakey-Porter who went into sudden
A Kent first aid instructor has spoken of the moment he realised he needed saving himself, after a hidden and life-threatening condition triggered a heart attack at home. Michael, aged 41 from Ramsgate in Kent was with his partner and three-year-old twins at home when he began experiencing symptoms on the evening of 23 March 2026. He felt restless, with an aching jaw and teeth but believing it mi
An Eastbourne resident has been prosecuted following repeated inappropriate use of the 999-emergency ambulance service. Bernard Hudson, 64, was trialled in Brighton Magistrates Court on Friday, 29 May and sentenced and charged with a penalty fine and 10-week custodial sentence, suspended for 12 months for continuous hoax calls to 999. Over a three-month period, South East Coast Ambulance Service
A team from South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) are tackling a demanding bike ride across Sussex and Surrey – including the iconic climb at Box Hill – to raise funds for the SECAmb Charity. Led by Interim Chief Executive Jen Allan, a number of Trust executives will saddle up for the 55-mile challenge, covering the same distance as the London to Brighton Cycle Ride. Starting and ending at S
A paramedic from Surrey is taking on an ‘oarsome’ challenge, attempting to row 2,000 miles around the Great British coastline. Kit Nelson is part of the six-strong Nautilus team tackling the GB Row Challenge, putting their strength, stamina and resilience to the test while gathering research to preserve marine environments and wildlife. Kit Nelson (first left) with the rest of the Nautilus crew ta
The vital role chaplaincy plays in supporting ambulance service colleagues was placed firmly in the spotlight during a recent visit by the Archbishop of Canterbury to SECAmb’s Medway Make Ready Centre. The Most Reverend Dame Sarah Mullally, who became Archbishop of Canterbury in March 2026 and is the first woman to hold the office, spent time with colleagues from frontline operations, the E
Improving cardiac arrest outcomes starts before an ambulance arrives and this weekend, Eastbourne saw the community come together to learn vital life-saving skills in action. Emergency services were front and centre as the Eastbourne community gathered on the Western Lawns for the annual Eastbourne 999 event over the last weekend of May 2026. South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) joined emer
Strong partnership working with Kent Police and the Kent and Medway Violence Reduction Unit has secured five CPR training manikins to help expand lifesaving training opportunities across the Trust. Thanks to the collaborative efforts of Strategic Partnerships Manager, Daryl Devlia and Kent Police’s Chief Inspector, Elizabeth Jones, colleagues from the Trust’s Strategic Partnerships an
They’re teachers, police officers, office workers, parents and retirees but this Volunteers’ Week, South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) is highlighting those who are going beyond their day jobs. SECAmb volunteers are pivotal to how the Trust cares for its communities and as highlighted in its recently launched Volunteering and Community Resilience Strategy, SECAmb is keen to build its volu