Recommendation MAI-44: Ambulance trusts submit resource recommendations
From Manchester Arena Inquiry: Volume 2: Emergency Response, published 3 November 2022.
Recommendation
Having carried out that review, the trusts should make recommendations to their NHS commissioners about the additional and/or different resources they require in order to ensure that they are able to respond effectively to a mass casualty incident in the numbers required.
In brief (written by this site)
In February 2026, the Cabinet Office reported that work was in progress following ambulance trusts' reviews and submissions of resource bids to their lead commissioners (Cabinet Office, Feb 2026). The department stated in February 2026 that NHS England and the NHS Resilience Emergency Capabilities Unit were establishing a working group to review and prioritise bid content for consideration by the Department of Health and Social Care (Cabinet Office, Feb 2026). In the same February 2026 update, it noted that emerging insights from the 2025 to 2026 contracting round indicated "limited evidence of additional funding from commissioners" to date (Cabinet Office, Feb 2026).
Sources
AI-generated summary of the record on this page, checked by a second model and automatic checks, 26 Sep 2026. The record below is the sources' own words.
About this summary
This recommendation applies across many organisations. The record reflects central policy activity; adoption in individual organisations may vary.
Government response
Accepted in full
Delivery
Cabinet Office says in progress (27 February 2026)
Following the ambulance trust's reviews and submissions of their bids to their lead commissioners, NHS England and NHS Resilience Emergency Capabilities Unit is establishing a cross-functional working group to work directly with Ambulance Trusts and their lead commissioners. This group will review and prioritise bid content, ensuring alignment with service needs, identified capability gaps, and existing commitments. Where necessary, the group may intercept or restructure existing working arrangements to enable effective delivery. The outcome of this work will be presented to DHSC to give consideration to as required as part of another recommendation. Emerging insights from the 2025-26 planning and contracting round suggest limited evidence of additional funding from commissioners to date in response to these submissions. Ambulance response times have improved and there has been a similar improvement in the time lost to handover delays at emergency departments over the last two years as a consequence of the UEC Recovery plan therefore giving ambulance trusts greater capacity to respond to a major incident.
Earlier statement on delivery (1)
Cabinet Office (14 November 2025)
Following the ambulance trust's reviews and submissions of their bids to their lead commissioners, NHS England and NHS Resilience Emergency Capabilities Unit is establishing a cross-functional working group to work directly with Ambulance Trusts and their lead commissioners. This group will review and prioritise bid content, ensuring alignment with service needs, identified capability gaps, and existing commitments. Where necessary, the group may intercept or restructure existing working arrangements to enable effective delivery. The outcome of this work will be presented to DHSC to give consideration to as required as part of another recommendation. Emerging insights from the 2025-26 planning and contracting round suggest limited evidence of additional funding from commissioners to date in response to these submissions. Ambulance response times have improved and there has been a similar improvement in the time lost to handover delays at emergency departments over the last two years as a consequence of the UEC Recovery plan therefore giving ambulance trusts greater capacity to respond to a major incident.
From: Manchester Arena Inquiry Recommendations Dashboard, original version (data file)
Source
Themes and tags
Who has spoken
- UK Government
Response - Cabinet Office
Delivery statement