Thread by @ChrisCEOHopson

1/10 Important new joint report with @AACE_org on ambulance services released today.

Report: nhsproviders.org/media/691897/r…

Blog by @daren_mochrie & me here: hsj.co.uk/quality-and-pe…

News story by ever wonderful @AliJaneMoore here: hsj.co.uk/service-design…

Quick ( 🤣) thread follows.

2/10 It’s a very good time to talk about ambulance services given the unprecedented pressure they have been under for the last two months. This is a clear warning sign that we have to address the underlying demand / capacity mismatch ambulance services face. Risks increasing..

3/10 ...Growing risk of ambulance staff burnout given constant pressure. And growing risk of harm to patients because, despite best efforts of frontline staff, demand/capacity mismatch means ambulance services can't always provide quality/speed of care they want & need to.

4/10 Our new report has three key asks for the ambulance service, which we'd very strongly endorse. Ask 1. We have to sustainably address current demand / supply mismatch in the ambulance service. For the long term. July's extra winter £55m for ambulance trusts very welcome...

5/10 ...But it's non recurrent and only a short term temporary stop gap. We believe the total recurrent revenue funding gap is around £250 million (nhsproviders.org/media/690526/s…). And it's not just revenue funding that needs sorting. It's capital and long term workforce planning too.

6/10 Ask 2. Vital that we take a strategic view of ambulance services as a key part, and potential co-orodinator, of the whole urgent and emergency care pathway. Ambulance services are not just an emergency blue light patient conveyancing service, important though this role is...

7/10 ...Ambulance services have key role in hear and treat/see and treat, to provide right care closer to home, helpfully avoiding unncessary hospital A&E trips. If we invest in this approach, it can make a huge difference for patients and streamline UEC pathway...

8/10 ...And by combining 111, 999 and local directories of services effectively, ambulance services can be a highly effective front door/entry point triage provider. And they can be a great co-ordinator on the whole pathway. But this requires investment and a strategic approach!

9/10 Ask 3. Ensuring the ambulance sector voice is much more deliberately involved in strategic decision making at national, regional, ICS and place level. Vital, for example, that ICSs fully involve ambulance services in their strategic work. Ambulance trusts cover many ICSs....

10/10 ...@AACE_org and our friends @NHSConfed have done excellent work to develop a regional commissioning board as key forum for ambulance trusts. We strongly endorse. We need ICSs and @NHSEngland Regional Directors to follow through on this idea and consistently implement.