Faster ambulance response times are on the cards in the Fakenham area.
A Rapid Response Vehicle operated by the ambulance service is going to be based in the town on a trial basis.
Although a review of care in 2017 suggested vehicles that can take people straight to hospital are best, managers wanted to keep two RRV vehicles operating as well.
Because staff from the North Walsham RRV have been assigned to other duties, bosses have decided to move the vehicle to Fakenham initially on a 12 week trial basis to see if it improves response times and improves things for patients in more rural areas.
Tom Abell, chief executive of the East of England Ambulance Service Trust, said: “We understand the concerns about response times along the North Norfolk coastline and calls for us to invest more.
“There are a number of areas in the region which are both geographically remote and also distant from their local A & E department. Providing swift responses to these areas with limited resources will always be challenging. Having grown up in Norfolk myself, I am well aware of some of these issues.”
North Norfolk MP Duncan Baker welcomes the trial. He said: “Improving ambulance response times in the coastal areas around Wells and the particularly difficult to reach picturesque areas of North Norfolk has been a manifesto cause I have campaigned on ever since my election.
“I am delighted that we have now not only saved the RRVs in North Norfolk but this trial will also focus specifically on improving the life chances in our most rural areas by speeding up our response times.”