East Midlands Ambulance Service



The East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) is the NHS ambulance service serving the East Midlands region of England. It is one of 13 Ambulance Trusts providing England with Emergency medical services, and is part of the National Health Service, receiving direct government funding for its role. There is no charge to patients for use of the service, and under the Patient's charter, every person in the United Kingdom has the right to the attendance of an ambulance in an emergency.

History
A combined service for the East Midlands was originally formed in April 1999, by the merger of the Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire (including Rutland) ambulance services.

The East Midlands Ambulance Service was reconfigured on July 1, 2006 and its operating area was expanded to include Northamptonshire (previously covered by the Two Shires Ambulance Service) and Lincolnshire (previously covered by the Lincolnshire Ambulance Service). However, Glossop in the north of the shire is serviced by the North West Ambulance Service (formally Greater Manchester Ambulance Service). The merger with the Lincolnshire authority was opposed by some people. North and North East Lincolnshire, although part of the Yorkshire and the Humber region were historically part of the Lincolnshire Ambulance Service, due to the difficulties of providing cover across the Humber. Although for some time the two areas were covered by the Humberside Ambulance Service up to 1996 they then reverted to the Lincolnshire service

News items

 * Ilkeston paramedic stole bank cards from dead patient in 2005
 * Formation of service in July 2006
 * Leicestershire ambulanceman jailed for seven years for 17 sex attacks in 2005
 * Chief Executive suspended in 2002 for telling a crew to ignore a 999 call
 * Paramedic loses eye when vandal throws brick through window in Derbyshire in 2001