EOC Reconfiguration

Meeting: Trust Board – Public Meeting

Date: 9 July 2025

Report Title: EOC Reconfiguration

Agenda Item: PUB25/07/4.1

Author: Kieran Wright, Strategic Infrastructure Transformation Programmes Lead

Lead Director: Kevin Smith, Director of Finance

Purpose: Information/Noting

Link to CQC domain:

Caring
Responsive
Effective
Well-led
Safe

Link to EEAST’s Strategic Mission:

Patient Mission
People Mission
Productivity Mission

Link to Strategic Risk:

SR1 Demand and Capacity
SR2 Quality Governance
SR3 Infrastructure
SR7 Workforce Sustainability
SR8 Staff Retention
SR9 Organisational Development

Equality Impact Assessment: Negative impact identified

Previously considered by: The update is a consolidation of papers previously considered by Executive Leadership Team (ELT) and Private Board.

Purpose: To update the Board on progress with the EOC reconfiguration.

Recommendation: The Board is asked to note the contents of this update and progress to date.

Executive Summary

The East of England Ambulance Service Trust (EEAST) is progressing with a strategic reconfiguration of its Emergency Operations Centres (EOCs) to enhance resilience, efficiency, and workforce wellbeing while ensuring service sustainability. This update outlines the proposal to consolidate the current three EOC sites into a two-centre model, aligning with national practice and delivering significant operational and financial benefits.

Proposed configuration

Retain Norwich EOC – high-performing, recently invested site.
Establish a new EOC in Essex (Chelmsford area) – optimal location for workforce and estate adaptability.
Close Bedford EOC – infrastructure limitations and low scalability.

Strategic drivers

Rising 999 demand (3.5% annually).
Need for enhanced service resilience and compliance with national standards.
Standardisation of operations and improved workforce support.
Estimated recurring annual savings of £1.17 million.

Impact and mitigation

Closure affects 103 staff at Bedford EOC; mitigation includes relocation support, redeployment, and staff wellbeing services.
Other services in Bedfordshire remain unaffected.
Patient care remains safeguarded through a phased transition plan, ensuring continuity and resilience.

Risks identified

Property challenges, including lease negotiations and site suitability.
Workforce-related concerns around relocation and recruitment.
Financial pressures and dependencies on broader transformation programmes.

Next steps:

Final site selection in the Essex/Chelmsford area.
Development of full business case for Board review in Autumn/Winter 2025.
Continued stakeholder engagement and detailed implementation planning.

Introduction / Background

There is a project underway working up a business case to move from three Emergency Operations Centres (EOCs) to a more resilient and efficient two-centre model. This strategic reconfiguration is aligned with national practice, supports financial sustainability, and ensures future service resilience.

Key drivers for change:

Increased demand: 999 call volumes continue to grow by 3.5% annually.
Resilience and national standards: Aligns with 8 of 10 other UK ambulance Trusts that operate two-centre models, and an existing estate that does not meet control room space standards.
Operational efficiency: Standardised processes, improved staff training, and enhanced quality control.
Workforce wellbeing: Improved facilities and support structures at consolidated sites.
Cost savings: Estimated £1.17M in annual recurring savings, equivalent to funding 20 ambulances.
Doing nothing is not an option: The current configuration is no longer fit for purpose, with EOC required space standards not met, increasing patient need, little or no capacity to expand within the current footprint and an aging estate.

Recommended site configuration

An options appraisal was undertaken by a task and finish group working to the HM Treasury business case process to determine the best-fit solution for EOC site configuration. Through the process, the following EOC configuration emerged.

Retain Norwich EOC – Strong performance, recent investment, and resilience.
Establish a new EOC in Essex (Chelmsford area) – Greater staff base cohort, viable property options, and long-term adaptability.
Close Bedford EOC – Due to limited infrastructure, space constraints, and lower short to medium term viability.

Benefits

These are some of the key benefits which will be detailed in a full business case. The business case will need to have oversight by NHS England (NHSE) as well as internal approvals.

Resilience: Two modern centres with robust IT and operational redundancy.
Workforce: Improved working conditions, better training, and stronger retention.
Cost Savings: £1.17M in annual savings; equivalent to operating 20 additional ambulances.
Standardisation: Reduction in unwarranted variation (Lord Carter review into unwarranted variation, 2016), easier to align policies, procedures, management oversight and training across fewer sites.
Patient Safety: No impact on care; dispatch is regionally integrated.

Impact on Bedford EOC

The reconfiguration will mean the Bedford EOC will no longer be required in the future. At the time of writing, the exact time for this to happen is not known but is likely to be within the next two years. The impacts on Bedford EOC staff will be minimised or mitigated as far as is possible.

Closure affects 103 staff members.
The site is not scalable to meet future needs and would cost over £11M to rebuild.
Workforce support measures are in place, including relocation packages, redeployment internally and externally, and staff wellbeing support.
Other Trust services in Bedfordshire (e.g. ambulance hubs, patient transport and support services) remain unaffected and operational.

Assurance for patient care

The transition to a new EOC configuration will be carefully managed. It will include, for example, moving to a configuration of four EOCs once the new site is commissioned, with legacy sites being slowly decommissioned to be assured of infrastructure stability and resilience.

Emergency response services will remain fully operational across the region during and after the transition.
Dispatch is centralised and resilient across sites.
Transition planning ensures maintenance of response times and quality of care, this is paramount. They will support or enhance current activities to improve performance.
Capacity for future growth built into the new Essex facility.

Engagement and oversight:

In arriving at this point, there has been significant engagement with those affected as well as internal and external stakeholders.

Extensive staff and stakeholder engagement across all affected sites.
Ongoing discussions with local MPs, councils, and health scrutiny committees.
Decision process thoroughly scrutinised by the Board with supporting evidence from property, workforce, and operational assessments.

Next Steps

Site searches are underway for a new EOC in Essex, with two sites being examined in more detail. The current preferred site is in Chelmsford and the commercial elements of taking a lease are in negotiation.
A full business case will be developed and brought to the Board in Autumn/Winter 2025 for final approval.
Design work and implementation planning will begin once the commercial negotiations and due diligence are completed on a preferred site. This ensures that costs incurred are appropriate and not duplicated unnecessarily.
Continued engagement with affected staff and stakeholders throughout the implementation.

Commitment to Bedfordshire:

There remains a continued commitment to emergency services in Bedfordshire.
Local clinical teams remain in place, with response times improving year-on-year.
Anticipated local growth (e.g. Universal Studios) is being factored into future resource planning.

Key Issues / Risks

The following is a summary of the key risks associated with the change. These will be actively managed through internal governance mechanisms, including oversight through the Transformation Portfolio Board (TPB), project boards as well as sharing progress with key external partners including Oversight and Scrutiny Committees (OSCs).

1. Operational and Service Resilience Risks

Interruption during transition: Any delay or issue in transitioning to the two-centre model could temporarily impact operational resilience and future service provision capability.

2. IT and Infrastructure Risks

BT connectivity lead times: Establishing two diverse BT connections at the new Essex site is essential but involves long procurement timelines and dependencies.
Control room integration: The transition must incorporate CRS (Control Room Solution), CAD migration, Airwave desktop radios, and other interdependent systems – any misalignment may delay go-live or reduce resilience.

3. Estates and Property Risks

Parking and access limitations: A new site may not fully meet parking requirements; alternative parking solutions will be sought if this is the case.
Affordability and flexibility of lease: Securing lease terms that balance cost, contractual flexibility (break clauses), and longevity remains a negotiation risk.
Design suitability: Ensuring the new site is optimally configured for EOC functionality, performance, and future growth will require careful oversight and input from specialists including a specialist ergonomist.

4. Workforce and Staff Transition Risks

Impact on Bedford staff (103 roles): Although mitigation strategies are in place, there remains a risk of staff attrition, dissatisfaction, or delays in redeployment.
Relocation challenges: There may be practical or personal barriers to staff relocating to Essex or Norwich, despite available support packages.
Recruitment during transition: While call handler numbers are set to increase in 2025/26, recruitment and retention could be disrupted by organisational uncertainty.
The Equality Impact Assessment has identified a negative impact on race due to the BAME profile of staff employed at Bedford EOC. With new opportunities arising at the Chelmsford EOC, recruitment is expected to increase, although the demographic ratio of new hires remains uncertain

5. Financial and Programme Delivery Risks

Business case dependencies: Approval of the final business case (Autumn/Winter 2025) is contingent on negotiations, technical scoping, and cost analysis proceeding on schedule.
Capital spend: Total scheme costs are currently estimated at £5 million, but delays or technical complications could quickly result in increased - - Delivery interdependencies: The EOC reconfiguration is tied to other transformation programmes which, if delayed, may affect the delivery timeline or increase risk exposure

Options

The information within this report is for noting.

How does this report link with EEAST’s vision, purpose and values?

Reconfiguring ambulance service Emergency Operations Centres (EOCs) directly supports the organisation’s core missions: Patient, People, and Productivity, by improving both operational effectiveness and the overall quality of care.

Reconfiguration allows for the delivery of high-quality urgent and emergency care that is more responsive, fair, and centred on patient needs.

It also contributes to creating a more supportive and empowering working environment. Improved technologies, streamlined workflows, and investment in better-designed workspaces reduce operational pressures and help staff manage their roles more effectively. This enables a more inclusive and positive culture, boosts morale, and enhances both individual and organisational performance.

Finally, it introduces innovation and improves efficiency, enabling the service to better meet the needs of the community within existing resource constraints. Technologies such as AI-driven triage tools and data analytics allow for smarter resource allocation, reduced duplication, and more effective decision-making. This promotes sustainability and ensures the best use of available assets.