West Midlands Ambulance Service is urging the public to think before calling 999. West Midlands Ambulance Service is urging the public to think carefully before dialling 999, after staff responded to 3,550 calls on Saturday (14/12) making it the fourth busiest day on record: 1st - 1st January 2011 - 3,822 calls 2nd - 1st January 2013 - 3,754 calls 3rd - 1st January 2014 - 3,726 calls 4th - 13th December 2014 - 3,550 calls The increase in calls not only puts pressure on front-line staff responding to patients, but it also sees Emergency Operations Centre staff equally as busy answering calls and managing the high demand to ensure patient who need help the most come first. In addition to the pressure on West Midlands Ambulance Service, A&E departments across the region are equally as busy. Heartlands Hospital was ‘under extreme pressure’ on Friday night (11/12). Members of the public were advised only to attend if they had an urgent acute illness. Assistant Chief Ambulance Officer, Craig Cooke, said: “Our staff are working around the clock to respond to patients but we need the public’s help to ensure we’re preserving our ambulances and highly skilled staff for the people who need us the most. Many people who dial 999 could treat themselves at home or access advice from NHS 111 either online or over the phone. Equally, people should consider taking themselves to an NHS walk-in centre, pharmacist or a minor injuries unit. This would leave the ambulance service to deal with life threatening illness or injury such as chest pain, strokes, breathing difficulties, unconsciousness and severe blood loss. It’s continuing to be a busy weekend for the ambulance service, not only in the West Midlands but nationally too. I would like to thank all of our staff and many volunteers for their continued efforts.”
Posted on: Sun, 14 Dec 2014 18:12:35 +0000
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