Urgent appeal from North West Ambulance Service

Urgent appeal from North West Ambulance Service‏

The North West Ambulance Service is under extreme pressure from the volume of 999 calls and incidents it is attending to. It is advising people to only call 999 when somebody is seriously ill or injured and there is a possible risk to life. When it is not as serious the public should also consider:

• Taking yourself to the emergency department (arriving by ambulance does not mean you will be seen quicker)
• Take care of yourself at home
• Talk to a pharmacist
• Make an appointment with your GP
• Visit an NHS walk in centre or Urgent Care Centre

Peter Mulchay, Head of Service for the Trust comments: "The call volume we are currently experiencing is unprecedented and we are asking people of the North West to assist us by only calling in real emergencies and first of all to consider the alternatives available to them.

"Our crews are working extremely hard to reach those who urgently need our help as quickly as possible. Because of the extreme rise in calls, it is more important that we triage our calls thoroughly and there is no doubt that those without life-threatening or potentially life-threatening conditions will find themselves waiting some time for an ambulance response or be advised to seek alternatives."