North East receives nine new ambulances from Government

North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) received just nine new vehicles as part of a Government initiative to help strengthen the frontline response to health emergencies this winter. 

The double-crew electric vehicles are fitted with modern navigation technology and safety equipment.

In 2024/25, NEAS delivered the fastest ambulance response times in England across every national category. It currently relies on vehicles from external providers to serve communities across the region. 

A Durham County Council meeting heard that the service is performing well despite the low number of new vehicles. In Yorkshire, the ambulance service received 73 new vehicles. 

Mark Cotton, assistant director at NEAS, told councillors: “We have had a significant investment in our services over the last three years, which has allowed us to get more staff and vehicles in. 

“We have hit a challenge in that our estate can’t physically take any more vehicles, which is why we are still reliant, more so than we would like to be, on third-party providers. We are currently doing a review of our estate to understand how we can improve that. 

“Some of the ambulance stations are in poor disrepair. Staff need better facilities to work from, as well as us needing bigger facilities to get more vehicles.”

Despite the service’s high-performing response times, figures for County Durham are largely above the NEAS average. 

Asked how response times will be improved, Darren Green, head of operations, said: “We work very closely with the acute trusts in the area. We are looking at high rates of attendance in incidents that could benefit from alternative pathways.

“We are working with the North East and North Cumbria NHS ICB  to increase the number of avenues we have to divert away from emergency departments and bring care closer to home. We are looking to increase the provision of advanced practice resources. 

“We have improved the provision across all of the organisational areas, including the County Durham region, and we will continue to see that trajectory.”

In Teesdale, NEAS community paramedics are working with local GPs to care for patients in remote areas. They help people stay well at home, reducing the need for hospital visits and building strong links between emergency and primary care.