Agenda item

1.    Mr D Devlia (Strategic Partnerships Manager, South East Coast Ambulance Service) referred to the information on the paper which stated that, in November 2024, the boards of South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SECAmb) and South Central Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SCAS) started exploring options for closer collaboration.

2.    At a Joint Board meeting in October 2025, the two Trusts agreed to progress to a formal collaboration through the creation of a group model. A public announcement confirming the intention to form the South Central and South East Ambulance Group was made shortly afterwards - the first of its kind in England. The transition to the South Central and South East Ambulance Group was scheduled to take place in phases from late 2025 through to 2027.

3.    Mr Devlia highlighted three key points to reassure the Committee.

4.    Firstly, the work that had been undertaken until then had been preparatory, with the aim of exploring options and opportunities for SECAmb moving forward.

5.    Secondly, there had been substantial stakeholder engagement, with internal and external partner services and organisations being invited to contribute to the development of the new Group model.

6.    Finally, a key aim of this Group model was to improve service provision for all  Kent residents. The model was aligned with the NHS 10-year plan and the neighbourhood model. This collaborative model was not an attempt at centralising service provision but to enhance it.

7.    A Member asked how this proposal had been greeted by SECAmb staff.

a.    Mr D Ruiz-Celada (Chief Strategy Officer, South East Coast Ambulance Service) said that there was some anxiety over the way in which some of the efficiencies would be generated, although no plan had been finalised yet.

b.    He also said that the new model offered a clinically-led case for change that aimed at offering a consistent, fit for purpose and sustainable ambulance service to patients across the Southeast, while recognising the local needs.

8.    In answer to a question about the savings that the organisation expected to accrue, Mr Ruiz-Celada said that there were two sources of efficiencies that the Group model was expected to deliver. That first one was about generating efficiencies through a joint procurement and working together with a single commissioner. This process would generate savings of about £10 million. The second source was the improvement of communication with all partner agencies to avoid the deployment of ambulances when not needed.

9.    In reply to a question on whether Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) would impact on the quality of Kent’s ambulance service provision, Mr Ruiz-Celada said that his expectation was that there would no impact on how the service would configure its operations and clinical priorities.

10.A Member asked whether the Group model had taken into account the potential impact from the imminent local NHS Integrated Care Board’s (ICB) restructure.

a.    Mr Ruiz-Celada replied that there was an overarching strategic commissioning group that comprised representatives of NHS England and NHS organisations in Kent and neighbouring counties whose key objective was to plan the provision of a consistent health service while meeting local need.

11.In answer to a question on whether there were any planned redundancies, Mr Ruiz-Celada said that there were no proposals for job terminations.

12.A Member asked whether there were any plans to remove ambulance infrastructure or services.

a.    Mr Ruiz-Celada said that there no such plans.

13.A Member asked whether the collaborative model involved a merger.

14. Mr Ruiz-Celada explained that this group model did not entail a merger into a single organisation but consisted of two organisations collaborating closely and producing single contracts with commissioners. 

RESOLVED that the Committee note and comment on the update.