MORE people should be treated at home by paramedics rather than be taken to hospital, according to a new report.

The NHS Confederation wants a change nationwide, a move welcomed by the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust.

The trust already has one of the lowest conveyance rates in the country.

John Martin, director of patient safety and clinical standards, said: “We welcome the report and support the developments suggested for how we treat patients.

“It emphasises the need to ensure paramedics are trained and educated to treat the wide spectrum of patients we encounter.

“As a trust we are now developing a diploma for our student paramedics and degree programmes with five partner universities and we are also piloting a specialist paramedic programme, all of which will contribute to treating patients more effectively.”

The change would see trusts judged on more than just response times.

The report was written by providers across the country including EEAST chief executive Dr Anthony Marsh.