Hertfordshire Ambulance delays as East of England Ambulance Service 'under extreme pressure'

The East of England Ambulance Service has admitted it is currently 'under extreme pressure' - with ambulances delayed outside hospitals over the weekend, including the Lister in Stevenage after experiencing a large number of calls.

Nub News also understands that the underfunded NHS is experiencing its highest levels of demand ever, combined with restricted capacity, increasing patient needs and high public expectation, culminating in the greatest pressure on the NHS in a generation.

It is also believed that many extremely hard-working staff are exhausted, with wider workforce challenges compounding the situation. High absence rates, primarily due to stress, psychological issues, needing to self-isolate or long Covid, are also amplifying staffing issues that existed before the pandemic.

A spokesperson for the East of England Ambulance Service said: "Our service is under extreme pressure with many ambulances delayed outside hospitals and high call volumes.

"To help us respond effectively we have increased our escalation state across the Trust. We urge the public to please support us by using our services wisely and only calling for life-threatening illnesses and injuries."