SECAmb has achieved a significant milestone towards completing the rollout of its network of Make Ready Centres (MRCs), having exchanged contracts on a building in Farnborough.

Subject to planning permission, the 40,000 sq ft property at Summit Avenue will be developed to become the Trust’s final centre for Surrey and twelfth overall.

The new centre would serve the Guildford Operating Unit, providing a modern working environment for ambulance teams and supporting the improved delivery of care to patients across the area.

SECAmb’s Make Ready system involves specialist teams employed to clean, restock and prepare ambulances and equipment. Alongside the Trust’s fleet teams, they help ensure vehicles are ready for crews at the start of their shift and that ambulances are more available to respond to patients.

The plans will bring the area in line with the rest of SECAmb’s region and will involve ambulance teams starting and ending their shifts at the new centre before responding from a network of strategically-placed Ambulance Community Response Posts (ACRPs) equipped with modern rest facilities for crews.

As part of the plans, the Trust will review its existing estate in Farnborough, Tongham, Guildford, Godalming and Haslemere to determine where the response posts would be best located in the towns to meet patient demand.

Josh Taylor, Head of Operations for Guildford said: “Our Make Ready system represents the gold standard of vehicle preparation. Our plans will allow for more efficient cleaning, restocking and preparation of our vehicles, helping improve patient safety and ensuring our teams spend less time off the road and more time responding to patients.

“The plans also ensure we provide modern fit-for-purpose facilities for our teams and improve our response to the public. Reporting centrally, teams will also have improved training facilities and increased support from managers.

“As we continue to face increased demand, it is important that we invest in our estate and reduce maintenance costs of our older buildings. By introducing the new centre alongside the network of more appropriately placed response posts, local communities can be reassured that our service to them is protected.”

The project is being funded through £24.8 million of investment secured from NHS England.

The Trust has two other Make Ready Centres in Surrey – Banstead and Chertsey.

In deciding where Make Ready Centres are located, the Trust considers a number of factors including which hospitals ambulance crews take patients. Having an MRC close to the main A&E Departments at Royal Surrey and Frimley Park Hospitals will reduce travel times for ambulances requiring restocking or cleaning or ending a shift after attending A&E and before returning to an area/town requiring ambulance cover.

The exchange of contracts is conditional on planning permission, with an application due to be submitted to Rushmoor Borough Council at the end of October.

Completion of the purchase will follow once planning permission is secured, with the aim to complete the building programme by Spring 2030.