New ambulance hub officially opens in Bury St Edmunds

Robert Rous, Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Suffolk, opened the hub on Friday 27 September 2024 in front of invited stakeholders and partners including Peter Prinsley, the MP for Bury St Edmunds and Stowmarket.

The Hub, constructed in partnership with Assura plc, has been purpose built to meet the demands of a modern ambulance service.

The Hub has space for 33 ambulances with a fully integrated vehicle repair workshop and vehicle preparation area to support the frontline operational team.

This integrated design of the hub will help patients by increasing the amount of time crews are on the road.

Staff wellbeing is at the heart of the design, with the aim to create a work environment that attracts and retains the highest calibre of staff. The building includes a quiet room, a multi-faith room, a nursing room, a gym and outside wellbeing spaces for relaxation and exercise.

EEAST’s Training and Education team are moving into the building later this year.

The facility has been designed to support the Trust’s net zero carbon ambition, making it the most sustainable and lowest carbon site in the Trust’s estate.

The ambulance hub has smart technologies installed, including over 1,000m2 of photo-voltaic (“PV”) panels, with the aim that a significant proportion of the expected energy demand will be met through the renewable energy generated on site.

These measures radically reduce the carbon emissions and footprint of the facility. This has been recognised with the Hub achieving a BREEAM (Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method) certification of “Excellent” and an EPC rating of A+.

Neill Moloney, Chief Executive of EEAST, said:

“It was great to officially open the new purpose-built hub in Bury St Edmunds.

“This hub has been designed to fulfil the requirement of a modern-day ambulance service for our community now and into the future.
“A strong focus of the hub is on our people’s wellbeing as we recognise the importance of creating a great working environment to recruit and retain staff recognising the impact this has on patient care.”