Winter Plan 2025
Meeting: Trust Board – Public Meeting
Date: 10 September 2025
Report Title: Winter Plan
Agenda Item: PUB25/09/4.1
Author: Emma Smith, Head of Information and Analytics
Lead Director: Steven Course, Chief Finance Officer
Purpose: Decision/Approval
Assurance: Reasonable
Link to CQC domain:
- Caring
- Responsive
- Effective
- Well-led
- Safe
Link to EEAST 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 Resource
- |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
Previously considered by: Heads of Clinical Operations (Operations Team Meeting) on 9 May 2025, Operational Service Delivery Group (OSDG) on 3 June 2025, Executive Leadership Team (ELT) on 17 June 2025, Deputy Chief Operating Officer on 27 August 2025, Chief Operating Officer on 28 August 2025 and ELT on 2 September 2025
Purpose: Two documents are referred to in this paper:
- EEAST Winter Plan 2025-2026 V1
- Board Assurance Statement - East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust
The purpose of the EEAST Winter Plan is to provide the detail of the winter plan and outline the Trust’s approach to the management of our services across winter.
The purpose of the Board Assurance Statement is to is to ensure the Trust’s Board has oversight that all key considerations have been met. NHSE require approval by the CEO and Chair. The Board Assurance Statement must be submitted by 30 September 2025.
Recommendation: To approve: EEAST Winter Plan 2025-2026 and Board Assurance Statement
Executive Summary:
The Urgent and Emergency Care (UEC) Plan 2025-26 requires the Trust is required to provide a winter plan approved by the Trust Board by 30 September 2025.
The EEAST winter plan for 2025-26 has been expanded to include a wider overview of the winter issues and actions.
To note:
- Winter debrief and learning event has been undertaken based on winter of 2024-25 and included in this year’s planning.
- Planning requirements for 2025-26 are set out in the UEC Plan for 2025-26.
- The plan will form the EEAST winter plan 2025-26 and further updates and information will be inputted (i.e. exact rostering levels, decisions on overtime incentives).
- Summary briefing packs have been shared with NHS England and Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) to outline our principle aims this winter and to clarify our asks of partners.
Some information in the winter plan is redacted for external use.
Introduction / Background:
The purpose of the EEAST Winter Plan is to provide the detail of the winter plan and outline the Trust’s approach to the management of our services across winter. This plan is flexible and responsive to operational changes and should be considered alongside the Trust’s policies and procedures. It sets out the approach to planning and preparation for the winter period, including the festive season.
We have defined the winter period as 1 November 2025 through to 31 January 2026, with the festive period (fortnight) being defined as 22 December 2025 through to 4 January 2025.
Key Trust Objectives:
- Patient: Prioritise safe, prompt, and effective patient care.
- Productivity: Ensure efficient and adequate resource allocation and to achieve service delivery standards.
- Partnership: Maintain public and healthcare partners confidence in the Trust.
- People: Provide compassionate leadership for staff health, safety, and wellbeing.
Why is Winter different?
Each winter, the East of England Ambulance Service (EEAST), sees an increase of calls and patient contacts due to a rise in winter flu, colds and seasonal illnesses across the region.
Other impact’s the EEAST need to manage throughout the winter period include:
- Increased staff sickness (due to winter flu, colds and seasonal illnesses)
- Increased demand
- Increased hospital handover delays
- Increased demand for ambulance vehicles
- Potential for adverse weather which may impact staffing and/or infrastructure
The learning event from last winter generated 10 key points. These have been addressed in our 2025/26 plan.
Key Issues / Risks:
- Hospital handover delays and the impact to patients waiting in the community.
- Increased demand on the service.
- Clinical Safety Plan (CSP) may become ineffective during prolonged extreme pressures.
- Prolonged staff absence or a reduction in overtime uptake.
- Pressures on neighbouring ambulance services (LAS and EMAS specifically).
Options:
No options presented.
How does this report link with EEAST’s vision, purpose and values?
The winter plan key objectives directly correlate to support and fulfil the four Trust missions:
| Trust Missions | Key Objectives |
|---|---|
| Patient mission: To provide high-quality urgent and emergency care that is fair, responsive and focused on patient need. | Patients: Prioritise safe, prompt, and effective patient care. |
| People mission: To provide a supportive, inclusive and empowering environment for our people. It will support individual and organisational performance. | People: Provide compassionate leadership for staff health, safety, and wellbeing. |
| Partnership mission: To connect patients to the best care, at the right time, first time, every time through working with our partners. | Partnership: Maintain public and healthcare partners confidence in the Trust. |
| Productivity mission: To be an innovative, efficient and sustainable healthcare partner, to meet the needs of our communities within the resources available to us. | Productivity: Ensure efficient and adequate resource allocation and to achieve service delivery standards. |
Summary:
The EEAST winter plan is a live document and will be subject to changes and updates as more information and priorities are known. It is intended that the EEAST winter plan is widely shared with partners and considered alongside their winter planning processes.
