PARAMEDICS are set to take on more responsibility for treating patients away from hospitals.

The East of England Ambulance Service has laid out its vision for the future and it includes avoiding unnecessary visits to A&E departments, in line with NHS plans across the country. This includes looking at “ways in which patients can be treated by skilled paramedics at home or in a more appropriate setting outside of hospital".

Eliminating handover delays at emergency departments is also high on the agenda for the service which currently sees crews sometimes having to wait for long periods with patients until they are admitted to A&E.

The service has launched a public consultation on its draft corporate strategy 2020-2025 but has yet to reveal details of how such measures will work. A spokesman for the service said: "Following the consultation the strategy would be drafted in December before being taken to the trust’s board for approval in January 2020.”

Dorothy Hosein, interim chief executive, said: “The corporate strategy sets out our vision and priorities for the next five years, in line with the NHS Long Term Plan.

“Our patients are at the heart of everything we do. The strategy sets out a number of initiatives and projects that will continue to improve patient care and maintain a positive and accountable culture for patients, staff and volunteers.

“Your views matter to us and it’s important that we hear them, so we can shape our strategy to work for everyone.” The plans will include ways of improving “productivity and performance” and providing investment to upgrade the trust’s ambulance fleet.

Views and opinions can be submitted to StrategyFeedback@eastamb.nhs.uk by Saturday, November 30.