The 2025/26 priorities and operational planning guidance set out a clear commitment that NHS England will publish a new ambulance service specification in 2025/26 to enhance decision-making capacity and capability across all ambulance services, and drive consistency across the country.

The revised published ambulance service specification sets out the expectations for ambulance services in 2026/27. As confirmed in the Medium Term Planning Framework, ambulance services must continue to be planned in accordance with the published ambulance service specification.

The specification has been modernised to reflect current thinking and national policy and includes an increased focus on:

• supporting the shift from treatment to prevention; reducing health inequalities and unwarranted variation
• delivering the right care for the patient through increased ‘hear and treat’ and ‘see and treat’ by increasing clinical navigation and validation of eligible calls
• using single point of access (SPOA) and call before convey to support referrals to alternative services and safely reduce avoidable conveyance
• having an optimised delivery model through utilisation of the NHS England demand and forecasting planning tool, matching rotas to meet demand and optimising fleet mix
• recognising the crucial role ambulance services play in patient safety and quality
• improving culture through implementing the recommendations of the ambulance culture review of NHS ambulance services to support improved leadership, improved workforce wellbeing, reduce sickness, improve attrition, and improve clinical safety and outcomes