Herefordshire ambulance crews have dealt with a record-breaking number of emergency calls, despite pleas for people to use the service “sensibly” to help ease the enormous strain it is under.
Service bosses were forced to make a fresh appeal yesterday to the public to think “very very carefully” before dialling 999 for an ambulance after calls rocketed by almost 28 per cent across Herefordshire and neighbouring Shropshire and Worcestershire last weekend.
A total of 1,202 emergency calls were dealt with across the three counties, with 470 on Saturday night alone.
West Midlands Ambulance Service revealed that nearly 8,000 calls were received across the region, an overall increase of 30 per cent on the same time last year.
Chief executive Anthony Marsh has urged people to act sensibly to help the service cope with demand.
“All staff are working flat out around the region to meet the extraordinary demand and are trying to do their best in very difficult circumstances,” he said.
“Staff are tired and also sickness levels are increasing as they themselves become the victim of the norovirus and other stomach bugs that are around.
“I am urging the public to stop and think very very carefully before dialling 999. Is your condition of an emergency nature that requires and immediate 999 medical response?
“We would ask that you use common sense and use other health resources where available.
“Unfortunately the trust is still receiving calls that are not of an emergency nature, with ambulance staff arriving at people’s homes to find they they did not require a blue light service after all,” said Mr Marsh.
