Plans are being made for a new ambulance hub in Ipswich to help ensure ambulances are clean, stocked, and roadworthy.

The East of England Ambulance Trust (EEAST) has applied to Ipswich Borough Council for a new ambulance hub including a ‘Make Ready Central Reporting Hub’ (MRCRH), similar to the facilities proposed for the Moreton Hall estate outside Bury St Edmunds.

The site, in Ransomes Industrial Estate and strategically close to the A14, would allow ambulances to be checked, re-stock and cleaned after use, and there would be a workshop space for repairs and servicing to ensure safety and roadworthiness.

The plans come after a Freedom of Information request made by the EADT revealed almost half of the region’s ambulances broke down in August.

The site would not be a base for emergency response, but an area for ambulance staff to park on-site and report at the start of their shift and collecting their ambulance, before leaving the site for a local stationing point from which to respond to emergencies.

Around 97 members of staff would be based at the site, which would operate 24/7 and also include space for medical supply storage and staff refreshment.

There are also plans for a multi-storey car park for ambulances, staff, and visitors at the site, which is currently vacant and covered in bramble scrub.

The hubs are located based on patient demand requirements to be able to respond to emergency calls in the most efficient way.

Last month, an investigation found that a ten-hour ambulance delay was found to have “directly” contributed to the death of 36-year-old Gina Bywater.

EEAST paramedics arrived at Ms Bywater's home in Lowestoft nearly 10 hours after the first 999 call on December 13, 2022.

The investigation at the end of the inquest concluded the death was due to an untreated cardiac condition, contributed to by a delay in attendance of an ambulance, caused by extreme resource pressures on the ambulance service.