Paramedic recruitment update
Dear East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust,
On 17th January 2014 you said in a response to another request, the "Trust has recruited 75 paramedics from external sources" over the past 9 months.
To demonstrate just how many extra paramedics are in service now compared to 1st January 2012 can you tell me,
A. How many paramedics left during the same 9 month period referred to above?
B. What is the net number of paramedics now compared to 1st January 2012? i.e. How many more paramedics do you have compared to 2 years ago?
Yours faithfully,
J Lowe
Dear J Lowe
Thank you for your email dated 21st January 2014 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: F16829 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 dated 21st January 2014, please find the Trust's response below.
A. How many paramedics left during the same 9 month period referred to above?
58 paramedic leavers between April – December 2013
B. What is the net number of paramedics now compared to 1st January 2012? i.e. How many more paramedics do you have compared to 2 years ago?
19 paramedics more in January 2014, compared to January 2012
Please note that the Hazardous Area Response Team in January 2012 was less than half the size it is today, and the increase of this department is not reflected in the paramedic numbers above. Additionally there are other paramedic roles in our control rooms – people who are dealing with patients all the time - which again are not reflected in the figures above.
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
Unfortunately, yet again the information you supplied does not appear correct.
On 17th October 2013, figures supplied by you showed that there was a net loss of -52.40 paramedics for 2012.
There was a net gain of just 3.69 paramedics for the months Jan - Mar 2013 making a net total of -48.71.
The figures you have now supplied show that over the next nine months you only managed to recruit a net gain of 17 paramedics.
That means you have 31 fewer paramedics than 2 years ago.
It also means that on average, you recruited less than 2 paramedics / month towards the total of 231 as set out in the Trust's turnaround plan. At that rate it would have taken nearly 10 years to achieve the figure you said you wanted to.
Clearly whenever the Trust talk about the number of paramedics they have recruited, it is vitally important that people ask how many have left during the same period, especially as you are spending huge sums of money on golden "Hello" payments at the same time as your existing staff are leaving in droves.
Yours sincerely,
J Lowe
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