The two most senior clinical directors of our region’s ambulance service have announced their departure, with the service in crisis over claims at least 40 patients were either harmed or died due to delays over a three-week period.

Sandy Brown, deputy chief executive and director of nursing at the East of England Ambulance Service, has announced that he is to retire in April and said he is “immensely proud” of nearly 30 years’ service.

It comes weeks after the Trust’s medical director, Mark Patten, resigned, citing “a personal decision to return to full-time clinical work at a hospital”.

A whistleblower in a senior position at the ambulance service claims that between December 18 and January 3 at least 19 people died and 21 people were harmed after significant delays in reaching these patients.

The claims triggered a risk summit by NHS England and an independent review is expected to conclude by Easter.