Further ECA recruitment
Dear East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust,
Now it looks like Anthony Marsh is going to take over the running of the Trust and as he previously advised you against recruiting anymore ECAs (something you ignored), can you tell me how many ECAs you have recruited in total this year?
Can you also tell me if you are going to carry on recruiting ECAs particularly as you can't fill the paramedic vacancies you promised you would?
Yours faithfully,
J Lowe
Dear J Lowe
Thank you for your email dated 16th December 2013 where you requested information regarding the East of England Ambulance Service.
Your request will be dealt with under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and we will respond to you within twenty working days. Your request has been allocated the following reference: F16546 and I would be grateful if you could quote this reference in any future correspondence with the Trust.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me.
Yours sincerely
FoI Officer
East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Dear J Lowe
Further to your email
The Trust has recruited 108 Emergency Care Assistants (ECA) in total (April – December 2013), 92 of which have confirmed start dates. In addition to this during the course of the last 9 months, the Trust has recruited 75 paramedics from external sources and 29 members of staff have completed their training to become qualified paramedics (between April and December 2013).
The Trust’s new Chief Executive, Dr Anthony Marsh, has recently announced that the Trust will not be recruiting any more ECA's except those who are currently under offer of employment. With regards to future recruitment requirements the focus will be on student paramedics. Whilst the Trust will continue with its efforts to recruit qualified paramedics, technicians and graduate paramedics, it will not be able to recruit these in sufficient numbers hence the focus on student paramedics.
I am obliged to advise you that if you are dissatisfied with the Trust’s response to your request you have a right to complain to the Trust and should set out your concerns to the Freedom of Information Officer, EEAST, Hospital Approach, Broomfield, Chelmsford, Essex, CM1 7WS or by email to [East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust request email]. If you remain dissatisfied following this, you have a right under Section 50 of the FOIA to seek a determination from the Information Commissioner on whether the Act has been properly applied by the Trust. For more information, please see www.ico.gov.uk.
The Trust is always looking at ways to improve our responses to Freedom of Information requests. If you wish to provide feedback to the Trust on how we have dealt with your request, please follow this link to complete a short survey: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/PLJZ6C9
Please do not hesitate to contact me should you require any further information.
Kind regards
FoI Officer
East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust
Dear East of England Ambulance Service
You gave me the following response a few weeks ago in relation to Paramedic recruitment,
"Further to your email dated 23rd November, I can confirm that the number of ECAs recruited in relation to the Trust’s Turnaround Plan has remained as 96."
You have now given an even higher figure of 108. This exceeds the number set out in the turnaround plan. Could you explain why that is?
Yours sincerely,
J Lowe
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