East Midlands Ambulance Service has secured £26 million to permanently expand its fleet and crew numbers across the region, a move set to improve 999 response times in Hinckley. The trust confirmed the investment, provided by integrated care boards covering six counties including Leicestershire, will fund up to 400 additional patient-facing staff and around 40 new ambulances by 2029.
Recruitment is already underway, with almost 200 new staff expected to join by October 2026 and another 200 following in 2027. The trust currently employs over 5,000 people and typically brings in about 200 frontline workers each year to cover turnover. Will Legge, Deputy Chief Executive at EMAS, said the funding would have a “real, positive impact” on patients. He added: “This continued growth will help us meet the challenge of growing demand for our service and create hundreds of new career opportunities.”
The extra resources are expected to be fully operational from April 2028, targeting faster responses to Category 2 emergencies such as chest pain and stroke. The trust has already made gains in this area, with average response times falling from 43 minutes 8 seconds in April 2024-March 2025 to 29 minutes 50 seconds by April 2026. Behind the progress lie persistent pressures: in January 2026 alone, EMAS lost more than 19,500 hours to hospital handover delays, its worst month since April 2025, with patients waiting an average of 41 minutes against a national target of 15 minutes.
The investment effectively doubles the trust’s recruitment plans for the next two years. It marks a significant stride away from reliance on private ambulance crews, which have been averaging 55 to 56 each day in early-to-mid 2026, and toward a stronger public service for communities like Hinckley.
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