A fresh attempt from the East of England Ambulance Service Trust to improve its emergency response services has been given the go-ahead.

The NHS has agreed to fund an expansion of the trust's operations centre in Hellesdon as part of its urgent and emergency care recovery plan.

Plans will see a reconfiguration of the Hospital Lane site to facilitate a major 999 call handler recruitment drive at the trust.

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This will include the expansion of emergency call handling areas, emergency response areas and a space for a live environment for emergency call training. 

It is understood works started on the project earlier this month - with the trust handed retrospective planning permission by Broadland District Council for modular buildings to house all non-emergency staff throughout the scheme.

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A spokesman for the trust previously said: "We will move modular buildings to our emergency operations centre in Hellesdon while work takes place to reconfigure the inside of the building to create more space for the call handlers we are recruiting.

“Once the work is completed, we will be able to increase the number of call handlers that can work in Hellesdon to 330.

"This increased capacity will help us continue to answer increasing numbers of 999 calls promptly."