South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SECAmb) is inviting people to find out more about their local ambulance service at its Annual Members Meeting.

This year’s event will be taking place at the Effingham Park Hotel in Copthorne on Thursday, September 26, at 2pm.

The day, which is open to the public, patients, SECAmb staff, Foundation Trust members, local organisations and NHS partners, will give people a close-up look at how a modern ambulance service works, and outline the Trust’s aims for the future.

There will be an exhibition about many aspects of SECAmb’s work, the chance to meet and speak to the Trust’s staff and Governors, and to learn more about health and wellbeing with a series of displays from various health-related charity and voluntary organisations.

In the formal meeting, people will hear from SECAmb’s chief executive Paul Sutton and other members of the Board and the Council of Governors. People will also have the opportunity to ask questions.

There will be a further chance to view the exhibition after the meeting, until 5pm, and light refreshments will be provided. People do not need to be a member of the Trust to take part, but SECAmb hope people will be interested in becoming one. Details of how to become a member will be available on the day or via the Trust’s website at: www.secamb.nhs.uk. For more information call 01273 484824, or email Julia Leppard at: julia.leppard@secamb.nhs.uk To register attendance at the meeting, complete the online form available via the link at: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/SECAmb2013AMM South East Coast Ambulance Service was formed on July1, 2006, following the merger of Kent, Surrey and Sussex ambulance trusts, and is one of 11 ambulance services operating in England. It covers an area of 3,600 square miles and a resident population of 4.5 million across East and West Sussex, Brighton and Hove, Kent and Medway and Surrey. The trust responds to 999 calls from the public, immediate and urgent calls from health professionals, as well as providing non-emergency Patient Transport Services (pre-booked patient journeys to and from healthcare facilities) in some areas.

It employs more than 3,000 staff across 60 sites - more than half of whom are paramedics and ambulance technicians.

SECAmb is a NHS Foundation Trust and as such invites the public to have a say in how it runs its services. It’s free to become a member of SECAmb, and members will receive a newsletter with potentially life-saving health tips, invitations to ambulance service events, and information about any changes planned to services. To become a member fill in the online form at: www.nhs-membership.co.uk/seas or, to be sent a form to fill in, leave your name and address on the membership line: 01273 484821.