East of England Ambulance Service reports record September demand with nearly 100,000 emergency calls and growing pressure on response times.
The East of England Ambulance Service has reported record demand for its emergency services, raising concerns about increasing pressure on crews as the NHS approaches its busiest winter months.
New figures show the service received almost 100,000 emergency calls during September 2026, with ambulance crews responding to more than 84,000 incidents.
That compares with approximately 90,000 calls during September last year, when around 80,000 incidents required an ambulance response.
The service, which covers Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Cambridgeshire, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire, says the increasing workload is contributing to longer waiting times for some patients.
A major concern is the amount of time ambulance crews spend waiting outside hospitals before patients can be transferred into emergency departments.
During September, crews spent more than 18,000 hours waiting to hand patients over to hospital staff.
These delays mean ambulances can remain unavailable for other emergencies, placing additional pressure on response times across the region.
Darren Meads, chief operating officer at the East of England Ambulance Service, says improving the movement of patients through hospitals is essential to getting ambulances back on the road more quickly.
The latest figures come as NHS services across England prepare for additional winter demand, including seasonal illnesses and increased pressure on emergency departments.
Health bosses say better coordination between hospitals and ambulance teams will be essential to maintaining safe and timely care for patients.
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