The East of England Ambulance Service (EEAST) has escalated to REAP Level 4 – its highest alert level – amid sustained demand and worsening delays in patient handovers at hospitals.
The move places the trust in line with other ambulance services nationally that are also facing mounting winter pressures.
In the week ending Sunday, November 30, EEAST received almost 24,000 emergency 999 calls, around 3,000 more than the previous week.
Demand has continued to rise, with more than 24,400 calls logged last week.
At the same time, hospitals across the region are struggling with increasing cases of respiratory and viral illnesses, including flu, which has led to significant handover delays and left ambulance crews waiting longer to transfer patients.
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The trust said response times have been affected, with patients facing longer waits for help.
By declaring REAP Level 4, EEAST can deploy additional measures, including moving all available clinicians to frontline duties, to reach the most seriously ill patients as quickly as possible.
Neil Moloney, Chief Executive of EEAST, said: "We have seen a huge spike in demand, driven by an increase in respiratory illness, which means many hospitals are at capacity and our ambulance resources are stretched as a result.
"During periods of high demand, patients with immediately life-threatening conditions are our priority."
The public is being encouraged to use NHS 111 for non-emergencies.
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