ESSEX’S ambulance service has been awarded a new “multi-million pound” contract for non-emergency vehicles.

The East of England Ambulance has started a five year contract for paramedics in Colchester and Tendring to man a 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week, non-emergency vehicle service.

Twenty-four vehicles will be in circulation and around ten paramedics will be involved.

Patients needing to get to routine appointments at clinics and hospitals – anywhere in the country – can use what has been described as “enhanced non-emergency patient transport service”.

The CCG says the aim of the service, which is entirely separate to the emergency ‘blue light’ ambulances, is to give patients safe, timely and comfortable transport.

The ambulance trust says there will be no impact on its existing paramedics as the service would recruit its own ones to work for it.

The contract has been awarded by the North East Essex Clinical Commissioning Group following a competitive tendering process last year.

The CCG has refused to disclose the contract’s exact value for commercial sensitivity reasons.

An ambulance trust spokesman said: “The CCG determined where the contract will cover, CCGs are responsible for patient transport.

“Therefore, if a north east Essex CCG patient is on holiday in Scotland and becomes unwell and needs repatriating, it is the responsibility of the North East Essex Clinical Commissioning Group to get the patient home, hence why the contract has changed to cover this type of journey.”

The criteria would also recognise it would be detrimental for the patient’s condition or recovery if they were unable to travel without the support of ambulance personnel.

The service previously operated under 18 different contracts including one held by the ambulance trust.

The new contract has been amalgamated into one and also covers 100,000 journeys – nearly twice as many as before.

Patients who need to book the new transport service can call 03000 134 995.