Bedford MP 'deeply disappointed' over decision to close 999 centre - and urges ambulance trust to reconsider

Mohammad Yasin MP has been campaigning for the centre to remain open – but the East of England Ambulance Service Trust (EEAST) has now confirmed it is set to close within the next two years.

The trust says the decision was made to reduce the number of Emergency Operations Centres (EOCs) from three to two at a meeting on May 7. The EOCs at Bedford and Chelmsford are due to close – while it plans to invest in a new centre in Essex.

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.

Mr Yasin has today (May 9) spoken to EEAST CEO Neill Moloney “as a matter of urgency, to discuss the reasoning for this decision and the impact it will have”.

He said: “Mr Moloney maintains that the Bedford EOC was not fit for purpose, and that its closure will result in fewer job losses than closing either of the other two sites.

“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.”

And he added: “While I understand the Trust is under pressure to make financial savings, we must ask: at what cost to patient safety?

"Mr Moloney assured me that EEAST’s performance has improved, with performance now better than national standards. I’ve also been told that closing one of just three key facilities covering such a vast geographic area will not significantly harm response times, however I have seen no evidence demonstrating this and I think the plans remain half baked.

"It’s vital to remain cautious – every second matters when answering a 999 call or dispatching an ambulance, and any delay can mean the difference between life and death.

“It is astonishing to me that, just two months after EEAST being issued with a Care Quality Commission (CQC) formal warning notice for multiple failings, including inadequate staffing levels and unacceptable call wait times, the trust proposed to cut jobs rather than prioritising staff retention and support.

"Mr Moloney says the Trust are not expecting a mass exodus of staff from the Bedford site and will seek to reemploy where possible, but this is no way to treat hardworking people who work every day on the frontline saving lives.

“This decision risks undermining the quality of emergency care in the East of England and represents a loss of skilled jobs in Bedford. If the trust is committed to rationalising its sites, I urge it to consider a more balanced and regionally fair solution – such as identifying a new, central location between Bedford and Chelmsford to preserve as many jobs and services as possible.”

An EEAST 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."