STAFF and volunteers at the region’s ambulance service have been praised by ambulance bosses following a busy Easter weekend.

Thousands across the east of England enjoyed a four-day weekend, as call handlers in the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust’s (EEAST) control rooms received nearly 8,000 emergency calls.

And out on the roads staff and volunteers were busy responding to more than 8,500 incidents across the region.

Saturday was the Trust’s busiest day of the Easter weekend with around 2,100 calls received – less than the 3,000 last Easter Saturday.

The Trust received 1,957 calls on Good Friday and 1,780 on Easter Monday.

In total, the Trust conveyed 6040 patients over the Easter period.

Robert Morton, EEAST Chief Executive, said: “My thanks to all of my colleagues and our volunteers for their continual hard work during another busy bank holiday weekend. We still continue to remind the public to consider alternate pathways such as 111, walk-in centres, GPs, and pharmacists if the call is not a genuine medical emergency.”