Busy start to 2016 for North East Ambulance Service
More than 1350 calls were answered and 620 incidents attended by North East Ambulance Service this New Year between 6pm on New Year’s Eve and 6am on New Year’s Day.
Despite numerous appeals to the public to use the service wisely, 999 operators continued to answer inappropriate calls from New Year revellers.
Lynn Pyburn, Assistant Contact Centre Manager, said: “New Year is traditionally the busiest night of the year for the ambulance service.
“Thank you to our extremely dedicated staff who have worked tirelessly throughout Christmas and New Year, under challenging circumstances at times. They are very much appreciated.
“As we enter into 2016, I would like to remind members of the public to use our services wisely. Calling 999 for trivial incidents and minor conditions can potentially put those with life-threatening illnesses and injuries at risk by diverting ambulances elsewhere.
“Please think before you pick up the phone. Do you really need an ambulance?”
People who require treatment or advice for a minor illness or injury should consider other more appropriate healthcare services available to them such as self-care, pharmacists, GP surgeries, urgent care centres or NHS 111. Only call 999 when someone is in need of time-critical life-saving help. For more information about NHS services available near you visit NHS Choices at http://www.nhs.uk.
Examples of medical emergencies include chest pain, difficulty in breathing, unconsciousness, severe loss of blood, severe burns, choking, fitting or concussion, drowning and severe allergic reactions.
Notes to editors
Notes to editors:
North East Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (NEAS) covers 3,200 square miles across the North East region. It employs more than 2,500 staff and serves a population of 2.7 million people by handling all NHS 111 and 999 calls for the region, operating patient transport and ambulance response services, delivering training for communities and commercial audiences and providing medical support cover at events.
In 2014/15 the service answered 1.107 million emergency 999 and NHS 111 calls, responded to 302,687 incidents that resulted in a patient being taken to hospital, treated and discharged 18,144 patients with telephone advice and treated and discharged 81,990 patients at home. In the same year, emergency care crews reached 134,745 incidents within the national target of 8 minutes.
For more information, please contact the NEAS Press Office on 0191 430 2099