Bedford's 999 call centre will close as union brands the decision a "threat to public safety"

EEAST says the decision was made to reduce the number of Emergency Operations Centres (EOCs) from three to two at a meeting on May 7.

And it has, in principle, agreed to close the EOCs at Bedford and Chelmsford, while retaining the one at Norwich and investing in a new one in Essex – subject to a full business case.

A spokesperson said: “This is the best option for our future resilience and for the service for our patients.

"It will be at least 18 months to two years before a new emergency operations centre is operational and all EOCs will remain operational until then. The Trust is committed to support all affected staff and look for every opportunity for them to continue to work for us, including relocation or retraining."

But trade union GMB has branded the move a “potential threat to public safety” – and say the move could put significant strain on ambulance cover across the East of England, as well as leaving large numbers of staff out of a job.

According to the union, staff at the EOC have been told to “either relocate to the more expensive areas of Chelmsford or Norwich, secure another role within the trust, or find themselves made redundant”.

And it has expressed concerns that two EOCs will be managing ambulance provision for an area that includes six counties, four major airports and several large towns and cities.

Meanwhile, EEAST is currently subject to a written warning from the Care Quality Commission over failures including staffing levels and call wait times.

Donna Thomas, GMB Regional Organiser, said: “This closure would have a serious knock-on effect for ambulance cover across the region.

“It represents a potential threat to public safety, particularly as the Trust is already failing on call wait times.

“We are deeply concerned about the impact it could have on our members, who will be faced with the difficult choice to either relocate, redeploy, or find themselves out of work.”

The trust had previously said the Hammond Road building’s constraints “mean it is very difficult to bring it to modern control room standards”

Bedford MP Mohammad Yasin has campaigned against the closure – and said he was “deeply disappointed” by the decision, and urged the trust to reconsider.

He said: “Bedford is the best-performing hub within EEAST, and its dedicated staff have endured months of uncertainty while continuing to deliver vital, life-saving services to our community under immense pressure. This decision is not only a blow to them, but also raises serious concerns about the future stability of emergency response provision across the region.”

You can read more of his reaction to the news here.

EEAST says the decision offers the most strategically aligned, resilient, and future-proofed solution, with long-term benefits across performance, workforce sustainability, and operational efficiency.

And it believes this option will ensure any savings will be reinvested in front line services and enable EEAST to provide a better service to patients.

The Bedford location currently deals with calls from Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and parts of Essex and Suffolk. The centre on the Elm Farm Industrial Estate also has call-handlers for the 111 service and the patient transport service for the area.