Bosses’ praiseafter new year999 calls flood

The new year brought a challenging time for the service with 1,236 emergency calls in the first six hours of 2014.

To put that into perspective, the service normally receives, on average, 2,000 calls 24 hours but on 1st January, they were dealing with five 999 calls a minute at one point with 291 alone between 1am and 2am.

Richard Henderson, EMAs director of operations said: “I’d like to pay tribute to everyone who worked in on the frontline, from those answering 999 calls and our clinicians out on the road providing medical treatment and care, to the management teams based at hospital emergency departments, our community first responders, the British Red Cross, St John Ambulance and East Midlands Immediate Care Scheme, my thanks go to all of them.”

“We expect to continue to receive significant call numbers over the next few weeks especially if the weather deteriorates.

“I urge people to be #999wise and to be aware of the options available for the treatment of minor illnesses or injuries rather than calling for an ambulance.”