As a public authority, South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SECAmb) is required to proactively publish information about how decisions are made across the organisation, in line with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) Model Publication Scheme. This includes details of decision‑making processes, governance arrangements, and access to papers, minutes, and reports where appropriate.
This section explains how SECAmb makes decisions, who is responsible for them, and where you can find formal documentation of those decisions.
Trust Board
The Trust Board is SECAmb’s primary decision‑making body. It is responsible for setting the organisation’s strategic direction, monitoring performance, reviewing quality and safety, and ensuring that SECAmb meets its statutory duties.
You can access:
These documents provide transparency on key decisions, including clinical priorities, investments, performance issues, and organisational policies.
Several committees scrutinise key areas and provide recommendations to the Board. These committees typically review and escalate decisions related to finance, risk, people, clinical quality, and organisational performance.
Examples include:
Audit & Risk Committee – oversees financial controls, internal audit, and risk management
Quality Committee – assures the Board on patient safety, clinical effectiveness, and quality performance
People Committee – oversees workforce strategy and people-related decision-making
Remuneration Committee – makes decisions on senior staff pay and performance
SECAmb decision‑making is based on the following principles:
Evidence‑led decisions
Decisions are informed by clinical evidence, performance data, risk analysis, and national NHS guidance.
Public accountability
Many decisions — especially major strategic or service‑impacting ones — are discussed in public Board meetings, whose papers are routinely available.
Inclusion and equality
Decisions undergo review for compliance with Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) requirements. This includes annual reporting on equality, gender pay gap, and workforce race equality standards.
Consultation
Where appropriate, SECAmb consults with:
Staff
Stakeholders
Service users
Partner organisations
Consultation feedback influences decisions about service redesign, operating models, and quality priorities.
Under the Publication Scheme, SECAmb routinely publishes documents that support transparency in decision‑making, including:
Board Papers & Minutes
These include performance reports, quality updates, financial summaries, risk assessments, and business cases.
Equality, Diversity & Inclusion Reports
Annual reports, pay gap analyses, and compliance data reflect how decisions impact fairness and workforce equity.
Budget and Spending Information
Information relating to major spending decisions and financial governance is published as part of the wider scheme.
Policies and Procedures
The ICO requires publication of organisational policies that guide decision‑making. These can be accessed through the broader SECAmb publication scheme.
If you cannot find the specific decision‑related information you are looking for, you can request it under the Freedom of Information Act.
Contact:
Email: foi@secamb.nhs.uk
Address:
Freedom of Information Coordinator
SECAmb NHS Foundation Trust
Nexus House, Gatwick Road, Crawley, West Sussex RH10 9BG [secamb.nhs.uk]
SECAmb aims to make all routinely published information accessible without the need for a request, in line with Section 19 of the FOI Act.