12 May 2009

Hyatt Regency Birmingham 

Strategic challenges facing ambulance services.

The ASN held the first of two meetings for ASN member non-executive directors (NEDs) on Tuesday 12 May in Birmingham to ensure that they are more effectively involved with the work of the ASN and the NHS Confederation. 

Attendees had the opportunity to debate the key strategic issues and challenges facing ambulance services and the wider NHS, to hear from senior policy makers and opinion formers and to network with other ambulance service NEDs.

Three key themes were debated at the workshop commencing with a presentation followed by group discussion and feedback.

• Where are ambulance services now?
• Where do ambulance services want to get to?
• How do ambulance services get there?

The presentation relating to each theme is available to download.

Delegates were also invited to propose other areas of work for the ASN to undertake. Suggestions included:

• Working with commissioners to inform them what ambulance services can provide.
• To tap into best practice developed by CEOs and Directors and facilitate the sharing between ambulance services.
• To look at the emergency and urgent care pathway and to assess what works, and to address what does not work.