THE East of England Ambulance Service will invest some �16m to introduce 160 new larger vehicles to its fleet. The vehicles – each costing about �100,000 – will have a revised interior fit which will improve patient comfort and also allow crews to stand u

THE East of England Ambulance Service will invest some �16m to introduce 160 new larger vehicles to its fleet.

The vehicles - each costing about �100,000 - will have a revised interior fit which will improve patient comfort and also allow crews to stand upright in the back for the first time, making it easier for them to move around in the back of the vehicle and treat their patients.

Fifty new ambulances should be joining the Trust fleet this month with a further 110 vehicles added over the next two years.

A Trust spokesman said: "These new vehicles represent a major investment and a commitment to improving our fleet. Each vehicle costs in the region of �100,000 and will be much more comfortable for patients and crews.

"They will allow crews to stand up as they work and enable them to reach more equipment and carry out more interventions on the way into hospital."

The vehicles will work right across the Trust's operations area, serving Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire, Essex, Hertfordshire, Norfolk and Suffolk.