Chief executive officer’s report - November 2025

Meeting: Trust Board – Public Meeting

Date: 5 November 2025

Report Title: Chief Executive’s Report

Agenda Item: PUB25/11/1.6

Author: Liz Cunnell, Chief of Staff

Lead Director: Neill Moloney, Chief Executive Officer

Purpose: Information/Noting

Link to CQC domain:

• Responsive
• Well-led

Link to EEAST’s Strategic Mission:

• Patient Mission
• Partnership Mission
• People Mission
• Productivity Mission

Link to Strategic Risk:

• SR1 Demand and Capacity
• SR2 Quality Governance
• SR3 Infrastructure
• SR4 Finance and Resources
• SR5 Cyber Security
• SR6 System Partnership
• SR7 Workforce Sustainability
• SR8 Staff Retention
• SR9 Organisational Development
• SR10 Corporate Efficiency Programme (CEP25)

Equality Impact Assessment: No negative impact identified

Purpose: The purpose of the report is to provide an update from the Chief Executive to the Board of Directors on the activities of the Trust since its’ last meeting..

Recommendation: Board members are asked to note the report.

Personal Reflection:

I recognise that although the change to Autumn brings us Halloween and bonfire night which are great fun with our families there will also be an increase in demand for our services which is normal at this time of the year but does increase with these festivals. We are working hard with system partners and regulators to establish processes and escalation points to keep our people and patients safe in the coming months. We are seeing increased pressure on our services and I am extremely grateful for the hard work and commitment of our people in keeping our patients safe.

October is Black History Month, and I encourage everyone to engage with the activities hosted by our inclusivity team.

The communities we serve and the colleagues we work with represent a rich diversity of cultures, ethnicities, and perspectives. To be truly inclusive, we must each take responsibility for understanding and valuing those differences.

I remain personally committed to making EEAST a place where everyone feels safe, respected, and empowered to thrive. Culture change is a shared responsibility, and I thank you for being part of it.

Organisational Performance

Our operational teams continue to work hard to achieve the performance targets agreed with NHS England as part of our operating plan. Our performance for Category 2 calls continues to improve and is better than planned targets – although still requires more improvement to continue to meet national standards over the remaining months of this year. At the end of September our C2 performance was 35.5 minutes, 5 minutes ahead of our performance for the same time last year. C1 performance is also improved and Hear and Treat rates have now reached 16.43% which is ahead of the target set at 16%. We recognise the importance of continual improvement for this in line with the NHS 10 year plan and ensuring our patients receive the right care at the right time and in the right place.

The call answering mean target for September 2025 was 2 seconds which is 18 seconds better than September 2024 and is delivering against the national and local target. This reflects the hard work of the team in improving efficiencies and the recruitment and training teams. Recruitment continues to ensure we sustain this improvement through the winter period. This achievement is especially significant given the 3.22% increase in demand for our services.

Teams are now working on efficiency in the call cycle time to further improve this further. We are also working on an intensive recruitment drive to increase workforce numbers to sustain improvement through winter.

Last week we celebrated International Control Room week – an excellent opportunity to highlight the incredible work of our teams working in control rooms across our organisation. All teams were encouraged to take part and celebrate individual achievements and team successes.

A huge thank you to all our control room staff and an acknowledgement of the, often, challenging experience they have when caring for our patients.

Regulatory update

On 9 September 2025 NHS England published the new NHS Oversight Framework league tables that show how different healthcare providers compare. The scores reflect performance across a range of metrics relating to C2 performance, finance, staff sickness and staff survey results. Trusts are grouped into segments from 1 (highest performing) to 4 (lowest), the Trust has been placed in Segment 4, but these scores are within our control and we are committed to addressing them together.

The metrics used to identify the national oversight framework ranking or segment include operational performance, finance and indicators relating to the staff survey. Over the past year, we have made immense improvements in our response times, we have been recognised for our strong financial position and for transporting fewer patients than the national average - clear evidence of our commitment to delivering excellent care. We do need to do more to improve our staff survey results and continue the journey of improvement for our response times.

Care Quality Commission (CQC)

In line with the Rapid Quality Review process following the receipt of a Section 29A Warning Notice and a Section 64 (Regulation 17) letter issued by the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the Trust continues to monitor the exit criteria metrics and provide monthly updates to the Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) via the commissioner led Regional Quality and Safeguarding meetings.

All areas have maintained improvements with mandatory training remaining above 90% since January 2025. There have been improvements in medicine management with only one reopened investigation since further monitoring has been introduced by the Chief Pharmacist. Strengthening of the recruitment pipeline within the Emergency Operational Centres remains on target to achieve full recruitment this financial year. A number of cultural schemes have launched as previously reported and the Trust waits to review the impact through staff survey feedback early next year to measure the impact of the activity. The Trust is awaiting receipt of the inspection report and decision outcomes for the lifting of the three remaining conditions applied following an inspection in 2020 which relate to; Private Ambulance Services (PAS), processes for managing complaints raised to HR and sexual safety.

Health and Safety Executive - Notice of Contravention

Following the HSE inspections in September 2024 followed up with a Notification of Contravention (NoC) specifically associated to the Management of Work-Related Stress within the Trust. The Trust has actively been in engagement and submitted all evidence in relation to the actions set and is currently awaiting formal feedback from the HSE.

Time To Listen

The campaign continues to progress with senior leaders now attending listening events across the organisations routinely each month.

Since August the Trust has taken a number of actions based on the feedback received. Specifically changes have been made to annual leave limits and a review completed for refused applications which led to 3000 previously declined applications being granted. To provide greater transparency a leave availability report has been published on EEAST24 so that staff can review a specific week in advance of booking. A working group is being established to review further feedback and ensure everything is in place to support staff taking their annual leave. In October 102 feedback forms were submitted and collated. The relevant teams are now working on finding solutions for the concerns raised. The key themes are provided below and from these areas of focus for a quick resolution were agreed with senior leaders and shared with staff on EAST24.

In the month of October the Trust took the decision to stop the Team Based Working initiative in its original proposal based on feedback from staff. However, we are continuing to engage with staff on developing a proposal which delivers the outcomes our people have requested. Namely, improved access to line managers, more training, clinical supervision and support and more rota lines and flexible working options.

Engagement

It is with great sadness I share the sad and sudden passing of our Norfolk colleague Lorraine Cason.

Lorraine sadly passed away suddenly at home in the early hours of Tuesday, 9 September 2025. Our thoughts are with Lorraine’s husband Nick, son Tom and all her family and colleagues. Lorraine began her career in Norfolk as a paramedic, and later working within rostering for Norfolk and then regionally. For a lengthy period she worked in planning for Central and then west Norfolk whilst raising Tom. Most recently, Lorraine joined AirOps and urgent care, and became an integral part of the team working closely with Tim Daniels and the rest of the team. Anyone that knew Lorraine will know how dedicated and passionate she was in any role she undertook, often working late into the night, but particularly in her role within AirOps and urgent care.

Lorraine will be dearly missed and fondly remembered by all who had the privilege of working alongside her or crossing paths with her. She helped so many people, often in her own time, and worked incredibly hard to support staff both in and out of work.

Celebrations

Ipswich Hub

EEAST has officially opened its new state-of-the-art ambulance hub in Ipswich, marking a major milestone in the Trust’s commitment to improving emergency care infrastructure.

The Lord-Lieutenant of Suffolk, Clare, Countess of Euston, formally opened the facility by cutting the ribbon in front of invited guests, including Ipswich MP Jack Abbott.

This £12.81 million development on Ransomes Industrial Estate has been purpose-built to enhance operational efficiency, support staff wellbeing, and advance EEAST’s sustainability goals. Now fully operational, the hub serves as a base for approximately 100 staff who have relocated from the previous site on Woodbridge Road East.

Sustainability is a central focus of the development. The hub features smart technologies and on-site renewable energy generation, supporting EEAST’s ambition to achieve net zero carbon emissions.

Staff wellbeing has also been prioritised, with the inclusion of quiet rooms, relaxation areas, and a dedicated wellbeing garden.

I was immensely proud to be part of the opening ceremony and acknowledge the Ipswich hub is a vital step forward in creating the kind of environment that helps our teams thrive and deliver the best possible care to our communities.

Stars of EEAST

A huge congratulations to all the winners from the night, it was a real privilege to host the evening and share in celebrating with our people. I would also like to thank all those who helped to organise this event and make our winners feel so special.

ARU Graduates

Congratulations to our latest postgraduates from Anglia Ruskin University.

The cohort are a mix of lecture practitioners, clinical practice specialists and locality clinical managers, who as part of their ongoing development, enrolled in the Postgraduate Certificate (PGCert) in Medical and Healthcare Education.

This course strengthens their knowledge and understanding of educational theories, application and research into specialist areas.

Congratulations to all our graduates:

• Donnacha Gately
• Carly Sayward-Jones
• Sandy Chapman
• Joe Ball
• Jo Wall
• Kerys Bretton
• Paula Terris-Pennycott
• Tim Wigginton
• Georgia Cousins
• Aimee Frith
• Matthew Goddard
• Clare Marsh
• Jonathan Pye
• Daniel Rawlings
• Joanne Whitmarsh

Restart a Heart day

Every year on 16 October, communities across the UK come together to raise awareness about the importance of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and automated external defibrillators (AEDs).

Restart a Heart Day, led by Resuscitation Council UK, is dedicated to equipping as many people as possible with the skills and confidence to act swiftly in a cardiac emergency.

Our responders and teams led a number of education and training events across the region to inspire others to gain these vital skills and remind us all that anyone can be a lifesaver. Keen to take part I joined a training session with the Canvey Community Responder Team. It was fantastic to see the training in action and I am full of admiration for all those who volunteer in this way for their communities. A huge thank you for everything you do for our patients.

Engagement

I am committed to spending one day each week travelling around the organisation meeting with our people, listening to ideas and getting to know the patch. Thank you to all those I have met for the very warm welcome. I have visited the following stations:

• Wells Cycle Unit
• Cromer Ambulance Station
• Stanstead, Harlow, Welwyn Ambulance station and training centre, Stevenage Ambulance Station, Letchworth Ambulance Station and Supplies
• HART, Melbourn
• Leadership Days – 3rd and 7th October
• College of Paramedics Chief Executive and Executives
• Peterborough and Cambridge Ambulance Stations
• Waveney Depot, Longwater Ambulance Station, Central Avenue – Finance, CallEEAST and IT

Given the extensive political changes across the region I have also been meeting a number of our MPs to share information and build relationships. I have met with the following MPs:

• Steff Aquarone, MP
• Alice MacDonald, MP, Rachel Hopkins MP, Jen Craft MP, Mohammad Yasin MP