Ambulance control rooms handled record 1.5 million 999 calls in busiest year on record

The figures highlight the crucial role played by hundreds of colleagues working in EEAST's Emergency Operations Centres (EOCs), who are often the first point of contact for patients and members of the public during some of the most critical moments of their lives. During 2025/26, EEAST's control room teams:

• answered almost 1.5 million 999 calls – an increase of half a million on the previous year
• answered calls in an average of just two seconds – a ten second improvement on the previous year.
• dispatched ambulances and other resources to more than 827,000 emergencies across the East of England.
• supported more than 159,000 patients through its Hear and Treat service, helping people access the most appropriate care without the need for an ambulance response

Control room colleagues make a life-saving difference even before ambulance crews arrive on scene. In the last 12 months, call handlers provided bystander CPR instructions on 8,489 occasions during the reporting period, supporting members of the public to begin chest compressions while emergency assistance was on the way.

In the last year, 43 control room colleagues have also been recognised for their exceptional support in helping parents safely deliver babies before ambulance crews arrived.

EEAST operates Emergency Operations Centres in Norwich, Chelmsford and Bedford, where emergency call handlers, dispatchers and clinicians work together around the clock to assess patients, provide clinical advice and coordinate the most appropriate response.

Terry Hicks, Deputy Director for Emergency Operations Centres, said:

"When somebody dials 999, our control room teams are often the very first point of contact in what may be the worst moment of that person's life."

"Last year they answered nearly 1.5 million calls, delivered life-saving CPR instructions thousands of times and helped ensure patients received the right care as quickly as possible. Their expertise, professionalism and compassion make a real difference to patients and their families every single day."

"International Control Room Week is an opportunity to recognise the extraordinary contribution these colleagues make behind the scenes. We are incredibly proud of everything they do to support our patients, communities and frontline ambulance crews."