Ambulance bosses issue plea to public after an increase in calls that do not need an emergency response
North East Ambulance Service bosses are urging people to think carefully before they dial 999 to request help from its specially trained teams amidst a sustained rise in the volume of calls to the service.
Chief operating officer Paul Liversidge said: “Calls to 999 have reached some of the highest levels on record over the past three weeks, in particular over weekends and on Mondays.
“Of those calls, a greater proportion of them are currently for people who are more seriously ill, who need our services quickly. However, reaching those in critical conditions is more challenging right now because we are also seeing a greater number of calls from people who could have been dealt with by a non-emergency service.”
He urged callers to 111 not to hang-up and redial 999, which should only be used for life-threatening emergencies. Callers to 111 can currently expect an average wait of around 30 minutes.
The continuation of additional infection prevention control procedures - including daily vehicle deep cleaning and change of PPE after each patient - limits the availability of resources to respond.
Paul added: “We are seeing the impacts of lockdown easing and good weather. We’ve had more calls for people injured on the roads or as a result of intoxication and people affected by the heat after not taking the necessary precautions. More people are also calling during office hours than usual when they may have had difficulty accessing non-urgent services.
“We are doing all we can to reach the most seriously ill patients as quickly as possible. We are only sending out ambulances to those most in need by treating more people over the phone or directing them to non-emergency health care services, where it is safe to do so. We are using additional third-party resources to increase road capacity and we continue to support our staff, who are understandably fatigued and under pressure.”
He added: “We now need more support from the public to understand the pressures we are under and use our services wisely.
“We understand how frustrating it can be to wait for help from our call handling teams or from ambulance crews but please be kind to our staff. When we’re under pressure and the number of calls into our service increase, it can take us longer than we would like to reach some patients. It’s not their fault if you experience a delay, they’re doing their absolute best.
“Please be kind and help us to protect our colleagues so we can ensure they are there for our patients.”
The service is reminding the public on how they can protect 999 for those in critical conditions and access the service most appropriate for their needs:
Remember:
- use 111.nhs.uk
- Call your GP or pharmacy
- Don’t blame our staff, who are working hard to get help to everyone who needs it
- Call 119 or COVID tests or track and trace queries