Latest News

15 March 2023

Reigate man reunited with lifesavers, encourages all to learn CPR

A Reigate man has leant his voice to calls for everyone to learn CPR (cardio-pulmonary resuscitation) after being reunited with some of the ambulance team who help save his life. Michael Woolley, 80, suffered a cardiac arrest at his home on the afternoon of 14 December last year. His wife, Lynn, who joined him when he visited Banstead Make Ready Centre recently, immediately began CPR, called 999 a

13 March 2023

SECAmb celebrates a decade of 111 service

South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, (SECAmb), is celebrating a decade of running the NHS 111 service across much of its region. The Trust, which now runs the service across Kent, Medway and Sussex, handled its first 111 call 10 years ago as part of a soft launch of the service in the region. The NHS 111 service took over from NHS Direct, a nationally-run service that began in

3 March 2023

Industrial Action for Monday, 6 March, is postponed

Industrial action which was planned to take place at SECAmb on Monday 6 March 2023 has been postponed. Industrial action that members of GMB and Unite were due to take tomorrow has been stood down to allow for talks to take place with the government. We would like to thank all staff and public for their continued support during this time. Further information on action is available to the public

21 February 2023

Trust publishes cardiac arrest report and urges public to learn to save a life

With more than three-quarters of all resuscitations attempts by South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) crews taking place in the home, this February Heart Month, people are being asked if they would be willing and able to perform CPR on a loved one. The revealing statistic comes from a new report on out-of-hospital cardiac arrests (OHCA) published by SECAmb. The report, covering April 2021 to

20 February 2023

Prolific abusive caller sentenced

A prolific persistent caller who made more than 7,000 calls to Sussex Police and SECAmb from September 2020 and was continually abusive to emergency service contact officers has been sentenced to 39-months in prison. Roger Jackson, 77, from Horsham, pleaded guilty at a hearing at Lewes Crown Court on Friday, January 27. As part of the sentence Jackson will also have a Criminal Behaviour Order (CBO

16 February 2023

Industrial Action on Monday, 20 February 2023

In the South East Coast Ambulance Service region, the GMB Union balloted its members for industrial action last year and met the legal threshold to take action. To date, industrial action has taken place on 21 December 2022 and on 11 January and 6 February 202. The GMB Union has announced further days of industrial action on 20 February, 6 March and 20 March. As with the previous day’s action we a

9 February 2023

New ambulance centre to become operational in the summer

A new multi-purpose ambulance centre is expected to become operational this summer. The South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, (SECAmb) centre, in Bredgar Road, Gillingham, will consist of a Make Ready Centre, Emergency Operations Centre, (EOC), and NHS 111 contact centre. It will be the first ambulance centre in the country to bring all three functions together under one roof. T

3 February 2023

Upcoming industrial action on Monday 6 February

In the South East Coast Ambulance Service region, the GMB Union balloted its members for industrial action last year and met the legal threshold to take action. Other unions in our region are currently re-balloting their members. To date, two days of industrial action have taken place, on 21 December 2022 and on 11 January 2023. The GMB Union recently announced four further days of industrial acti

31 January 2023

SECAmb encouraging staff to talk about their mental health

South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, (SECAmb), is encouraging its staff and volunteers to spend time thinking and talking about their mental health ahead of Time to Talk Day this week (Thursday 2 February). Throughout February, the Trust will also be raising mental health awareness among staff and volunteers with a campaign – Your Mind Matters. The campaign will focus on the im

27 January 2023

SECAmb to trial new volunteer Emergency Responder role

South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, (SECAmb) is to trial a new volunteer Emergency Responder role. The trial, which will cover Ashford in Kent, specifically Romney Marsh, and Tangmere, in West Sussex, focusing on the A272 corridor between Billinghurst and the Hampshire border, will last two years. The two Emergency Responder (ER) schemes will each consist of 12 community first

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