EEAST is scaling back its contract with Medicare EMS – a provider of ambulances and ambulance staff.

The GMB union says that as a result, 41 members of frontline ambulance staff were made redundant on 1 April, with EEAST giving Medicare EMS 'only six weeks to comply and inform the staff affected'.

The redundant staff have been encouraged to apply for other roles in the trust, which would see them start as day-one employees, according to the union.

Donna Thomas, GMB regional organiser, said: ‘EEAST has demonstrated once again a blatant disregard for patient safety.

‘Their decision to remove ambulances and staff from the frontline could potentially put lives at risk.

‘The specially trained ambulance staff should have been offered the opportunity to transfer elsewhere in the trust.'

In response, an East of England Ambulance Service spokesperson, said: ‘The trust has made the decision to reduce its use of private ambulance providers as part of our planning processes for 2025/26.

‘We have been in contact with Medicare and its recognised union, GMB, to provide information about how their staff may wish to join EEAST as NHS employees in the future.'

Medicare EMS was unavailable to comment at the time of writing.