Record Breaking Day for Ambulance Service

Yesterday the Trust provided 3,941 responses throughout the West Midlands Region, approximately 120 more responses compared to last year’s New Years Eve/Day, which is traditionally the busiest time for the ambulance service.

The Trust’s Emergency Control Centres were extremely busy throughout the whole day dealing with huge volumes of calls.

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokeswoman said: “A large number of these calls were to reports of breathing problems, road traffic collisions and slips trips and falls, which have come about due to the sudden on set of cold weather.

“With the wintery weather set to stay over the next couple of days the public is being urged to take extra precautions to try to avoid any unnecessary accidents.

“We ask people to not make any unnecessary journeys on foot or by car.  If you do need to go out, remember to wrap up warm, to wear appropriate footwear if walking and, if driving, to take a shovel, blankets, some snacks, warm drinks and medication if appropriate.

“It’s important to remember that emergency service staff are having to use the same icy roads to get to 999 emergencies as the general public, so we urge drivers to act responsibly when they see or hear an ambulance or any other blue light vehicle.

“As the snow continues to fall the Trust is anticipating a number of injuries related to people playing in the snow such as sledging accidents.

“Snow can be a huge amount of fun, but it can also be quite dangerous, so if out sledging use equipment specifically designed for that purpose and take a minute to assess your surroundings. Are you near any trees, fences or roads? If so, move to a more suitable location. Clearly playing on frozen lakes and canals can have tragic consequences and should always be avoided.

“A number of Christmas/work parties are expected to be taking place this weekend and we urge people to look after each other while out for an evening and consuming alcohol.

“Whilst we don’t want to spoil anyone’s fun, during times like this we always see a large increase in the number of drink related calls such as people slipping over and hurting themselves.  Of more concern are people who drink large quantities of alcohol and end up falling asleep outside.  This has the potential to be a life threatening problem; in extreme cases this has lead to people suffering from hyperthermia, which has been known to be fatal.

“West Midlands Ambulance Service is doing all it can to help people in need. All clinically trained staff who are at work today are staffing vehicles.  Every vehicle available to the service is on the road and extra ambulances and 4x4 vehicles are being brought in.  We are using the services of volunteer groups, who are also offering 4x4 capability to help us get to emergencies. 
”We are having to stringently prioritise all of our 999 calls and despatch our resources to the most serious cases first.

“We ask the public to think before they dial, do you really need an emergency 999 response? Many people who are dialling 999 could treat themselves at home, access help or advice from NHS Direct either on line or over the phone.  Equally, people should consider taking themselves to an NHS walk-in centre or a minor injuries unit.