Ambulance Service Trust to explain reasoning for closing Bedford’s Emergency Operations Centre

The East of England Ambulance Service Trust (EEAST) will present its reasoning for closing Bedford’s Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) to borough councillors next week.

The report, to be presented to Bedford Borough Council’s Health Overview and Scrutiny Committee on Monday, June 2 confirms that EEAST intends to operate two EOCs: one in Norwich and another on a new site in Essex.

The Chelmsford and Bedford centres will close, but EEAST insists there will be no impact on patient care, as emergency calls are already distributed across the region based on availability.

EEAST said the Essex site was chosen as it has a “better recruitment and retention profile” and will “impact less staff” than a new site in Bedfordshire.

A full business case is now being developed, with implementation expected to take 52–64 weeks from site acquisition.

The Committee is scheduled to be held in Committee Room 1, Borough Hall, Bedford at 18:30.

It will also be available online at bedford.public-i.tv/core/portal/home