This position paper, developed by the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE), aims to provide strategic input to the ambulance commissioning review scheduled for 2025/26 and implementation in 2026/27, as outlined in NHS planning guidance.
The ambulance sector views this review as a pivotal opportunity to resolve longstanding commissioning barriers to optimal patient care delivery. This paper presents a unified sector position to inform the development of a commissioning framework that enables ambulance services to fulfil their evolving role within integrated healthcare systems.
We acknowledge that commissioning reform alone is insufficient without parallel operational transformation.
We also highlight that the experiences and examples shared in this position paper are not reflected across all ambulance services, and that this should be taken as an opportunity to level up and consolidate our approach whilst addressing the challenges. We are aware of the current national challenge and fluidity of the context in which this paper is published.
We hope it can be used as a starting point to a constructive and collaborative discussion to enhance urgent and emergency care (UEC) effectiveness and productivity, improve patient outcomes, and reduce inequalities.
Anna Parry, managing director of AACE, said:
Changing the way ambulance services are commissioned must be a priority if we are to further enhance the ambulance sector’s contribution to NHS urgent and emergency care, improve health outcomes for patients and create consistently better-quality care for everyone using our services.
Our commissioning position statement is designed to help and inform key stakeholders in Government and across the health service who can help effect these changes, against the backdrop of national review of current arrangements.
