New ambulances will replace outdated fleet in Peterborough and East of England

The investment, worth more than £4.5 million, in new ambulances for the East of England Ambulance Trust (EEAST) is part of a nationwide rollout of almost 500 new ambulances to replace ageing vehicles in the ambulance fleet across England by March 2026.

While it has not yet been revealed where the new vehicles will be based, the funding has been welcomed by EEAST.

Some of the new ambulances will be electric vehicles.

An EEAST spokesman said: "We welcome the allocation of £4.5 million by the Department for Health and Social Care for 29 new ambulances. This funding will support our ambition to replace our outdated ambulance fleet.

"We have purchased an additional five electric ambulances, on top of the three we have already procured as part of our ongoing participation in NHS electric vehicle trials. “The other 24 ambulances have been ordered and will begin to arrive later this year as part of a procurement programme that will provide 275 new ambulances by the end of 2026.”

Health Secretary Wes Streeting said: “These 29 new ambulances will make a real difference to patients in the East of England, replacing old and tired vehicles and getting to patients in minutes, rather than hours.

"We can't fix more than a decade of underinvestment and neglect overnight. But through the measures we're setting out today, we will deliver faster and more convenient care for patients in emergencies.”