Ambulance Service was extremely busy on New Years Eve

North West Ambulance Service

On New Years Eve/News Years Day (midnight up until 0700hrs), the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) received 2265 emergency calls. In a period of extreme activity this equated to one emergency call being received every 10 seconds throughout the night.

Of the 2265 calls NWAS responded to 546 Category A 999 calls (serious and immediately life threatening incidents) which is comparable with the same period last year.

Some examples of the incidents crews responded to included: Two people reported in the sea in Blackpool, at least 17 serious assaults, numerous Road Traffic Collisions (RTCs), 2 incidents involving firework injuries.

Whilst NWAS answered all these calls it was disappointing that despite pleas to the public to use the Ambulance Service wisely we still received inappropriate calls which included a 999 call requesting a paramedic response to take a dog's temperature.

Derek Cartwright, Director of Emergency Service at NWAS, said: "The service always expects a high increase in demand during this time; however we anticipate this surge and managed it appropriately by increasing resources. This included an additional 13 Rapid Response vehicles, more than 50 extra Emergency Ambulances and extra staff within the Trust's three Emergency Control Centres."

Derek continued: "All our staff worked very hard both in control rooms managing emergency calls, deploying vehicles, and frontline crews tending to patients."

"It is their dedication and commitment that enables us to continue to deliver excellent service to the people of the North West - a fact that I am sure the general public will recognise. I would like to thank everyone involved for their hard work and commitment.

"We will continue to push the message about acting responsibly and the importance of keeping ambulances free to attend to those patients with a genuine medical need.

"The Trust would also like wish everyone a very happy and healthy 2013."

For clinical advice over the holiday period, you can contact NHS Direct on 0845 46 47 or visit www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk. If you live in Lancashire, 111 is the number to call for urgent medical advice and access to NHS services, when it's not an emergency.