Our NHS ambulance service and how you can help us!

Your local ambulance service - South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Trust (SECAmb) - is aiming to become an NHS Foundation Trust in 2010. Foundation trusts (FTs) have been around since 2004, although ambulance trusts were only able to start to apply for foundation trust status from April 2009.

The main advantage in becoming an FT is that foundation trusts are run locally, and are accountable to patients, local people and staff rather than to Government, by way of the ‘membership’ they establish. Foundation trusts are still NHS organisations, providing free care and treatment to patients. They still have to meet national targets and are regularly inspected.

We believe FT status will be good for everyone because our members, and the Council of Governors they elect, can have direct influence on the way we develop. As an FT we’ll be able to respond to people’s needs much more immediately because we’ll be working with them as members. We will also have more say over how and what we invest our money in - training, new ambulances, adopting the latest clinical technologies and techniques, etc - meaning our public, patients and staff will get the ambulance service they want and need.

Becoming a member of our NHS Trust is simple, free and it’ll mean you’re supporting us as well as having your say about how we can make our services even better. Membership doesn’t need to take up your time – you can just receive our free quarterly newsletter, with details of the latest developments in life-saving treatments and technology, useful tips, interesting public health information - but it will also give you the chance to get more involved if you want to.

Please visit our website for more information (www.secamb.nhs.uk) or go straight to where you can join us online (www.nhs-membership.co.uk/seas). For membership forms contact Izzy Allen on 01273 897840 or ftmembership@secamb.nhs.uk. Thank you very much for your support.

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