Pre-hospital critical care now available across the east of England
Date: 23 July 2026Seriously ill and injured people across the East of England are set to benefit from specialist critical care before reaching hospital as the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) expands its Advanced Paramedic Critical Care (APCC) pilot.
Over the next 12 months, advanced practice clinicians will bring enhanced medical expertise directly to the region's most seriously ill and injured patients, helping ensure they receive the right care, at the right time, from the right clinician.
The expansion follows strong results from a month-long pilot in Norfolk and Waveney, where a dedicated 24/7 APCC vehicle attended 292 patients across 253 incidents. The specialist team delivered a range of advanced interventions, including complex airway management and administering specialist medications.
Alongside responding to emergencies, APCC clinicians provide expert advice and clinical support to frontline ambulance crews, helping guide care in some of the most challenging situations such as serious road traffic collisions or cardiac arrests.
The expanded service is being delivered in partnership with regional Air Ambulance Trusts, The British Association for Immediate Care (BASICS) and other critical care providers across the region. These organisations continue to play a vital role by providing rapid response vehicles, base facilities, personal protective equipment and operational support.
Paul Gates BEM, Deputy Chief Paramedic at EEAST, said: "This is a powerful example of what can be achieved through partnership.
"By combining EEAST's expertise with the support of our critical care partners, we're deploying highly skilled advanced paramedics where they can make the greatest difference.
"Providing high-quality critical care earlier in a patient's journey not only improves patient care but can also reduce the time crews spend at scene, helping them return to service sooner and support more seriously ill and injured people.
"Together, we're strengthening frontline care, getting advanced clinical skills to patients faster and supporting our teams to deliver the right care, first time."
Essex & Herts Air Ambulance Trust (EHAAT) is the latest organisation to join the programme, meaning coverage of the APCC pilot now extends across the entire East of England.
Mark Jarman-Howe, Chief Executive Officer of EHAAT, said: "Introducing Advanced Paramedics will help take pressure off local NHS services and ensure patients get the help they need, when they require it most. In an emergency, that can make the difference between life and death.
"We are expecting this new partnership with EEAST to potentially double the number of critical patients we can collectively attend with advanced skilled clinicians, which will be really significant for us, for those patients and for the wider communities of Essex and Hertfordshire."
The expanded pilot will run for a further 12 months while evidence is gathered on its impact on patient outcomes, staff support and service efficiency. A decision on the long-term future of the model will be made in spring 2027.
Notes for editors
EHAAT have recently joined the pilot programme, providing critical care services to Essex and Hertfordshire and completing the programme's coverage of the east of England region. Our other partners in the programme are:
- Norfolk Accident Rescue Service (NARS)
- Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Emergency Critical Care Scheme (BHECCS)
- Suffolk Accident Rescue Service (SARS)
- BASICS Essex
- Magpas Air Ambulance
