New figures demonstrate strong clinical outcomes, improving response times and high patient satisfaction for the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST).EEAST’s 2025/26 Annual Quality Account shows the emergency service is one of the best‑performing in England for time‑critical conditions such as heart attacks and cardiac arrest, even during a year of record demand.During 2026, the trust has been under fire over its performance. In March, the service was last in national performance rankings.EEAST’s out-of-hospital cardiac arrest desk, which links clinicians in the control room to the scene of a cardiac arrest via video link, is now being explored by other ambulance services in EnglandThe organisation, which operates in Hertfordshire, Essex, Bedfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Cambridgeshire, was 10th in the country’s league table, down from 9th place in the previous quarter.The service was judged “low performing” with the lowest grade, 4, for patient safety, access to services, and people and workforce.In May, the service was attacked by unions. GMB Union heavily criticised bosses for instructing staff to spend no longer than 42 minutes attending a scene for a category 2 (C2) response. The emergencies could include conditions and injuries such as epilepsy, strokes and burns. The same month, UNISON claimed staff were ready to quit over problems booking annual leave.Earlier in June, the trust revealed its new Patient Plan and how it aims to deliver better care by not taking all patients to the hospital as it responds to rising demand and more complex needs. The plan outlines how it will deliver faster emergency responses for the sickest patients, while helping others get the right care earlier, often closer to home.The Annual Quality Account shows that during 2025/26, EEAST was the highest‑performing ambulance trust in England for heart attack care, significantly above the national average.Survival outcomes following out‑of‑hospital cardiac arrest were also among the best in the country, with EEAST achieving the highest performance nationally for several key measures, including return of spontaneous circulation and delivery of post‑resuscitation care. The trust handled nearly 1.5 million emergency contacts in 2025/26 – the equivalent of one 999 call every 29 seconds.Despite this sustained pressure, 999 calls were answered in an average of two seconds, ambulance response times improved across all call categories compared with the previous year, and performance for the most life‑threatening emergencies remained stable.In 2025/26, EEAST clinicians safely supported over 159,000 patients through telephone assessment and clinical advice.This approach helps patients avoid unnecessary hospital visits and ensures emergency resources are available where they are needed most. Overall, 93% of patients rated their overall experience as good or very good. The trust received 3,722 compliments, with six compliments recorded for every complaint, which fell significantly.Simon Chase, chief paramedic and director of quality of EEAST, said: “Our teams respond to extraordinary demand every day, and this quality account shows the real difference their skill, compassion and commitment make for patients.“We know there is more work to do, but we are proud to be delivering some of the best outcomes in the country for the patients who need us most.”
EEAST ‘highest‑performing ambulance trust in England for heart attack care’
