East Midlands Ambulance Service to recruit hundreds of staff in £26m expansion
Investment aims to meet growing emergency demand in East Midlands
People across the East Midlands are set to benefit from a £26 million investment in ambulance services, with plans to increase the number of emergency crews and vehicles on the road.
East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) said the funding, which will be invested over the next three years would permanently expand its frontline workforce and fleet.
By 2029, the trust expects to have around 40 additional ambulances in operation, supported by up to 400 extra patient-facing staff.
The service says recruitment is already underway, with almost 200 new employees expected to join the service by October 2026 and a further 200 planned for 2027.
The trust has opened vacancies for qualified technicians, urgent care assistants and mechanics, who will help maintain the expanding fleet. Opportunities for qualified paramedics will continue to be advertised throughout the year.
EMAS said the investment forms part of wider plans aimed at improving ambulance response times and helping the service cope with increasing demand.
Deputy Chief Executive Will Legge said the funding would have "a real, positive impact" on patient care.
"We now employ over 5,000 staff at EMAS," he said.
"This continued growth will help us meet the challenge of growing demand for our service and create hundreds of new career opportunities.
"We're looking forward to welcoming new passionate, caring colleagues to our EMAS team in the coming months."