Ambulance service which covers Northamptonshire receives more than 1,000 calls in first seven hours of 2024

An ambulance service, which covers Northamptonshire, received more than 1,000 calls in the first seven hours of 2024.

As revellers saw in the new year, paramedics at East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) were working to make sure everyone remained safe.

The ambulance service, which also covers Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Lincolnshire, received 1,055 emergency calls between midnight and 7am on January 1.

More than half of those calls were received by 3am, as the 999 control room had taken nearly 560 emergency and urgent calls.

EMAS says calls were for a variety of conditions including trips, falls and traumatic blood loss, in addition to injuries suffered because of too much alcohol – with a noticeable increase in these types of calls from 12.30am onwards.

The volume of calls has sparked a warning from the ambulance service about “using NHS service wisely”.

An EMAS spokesman said: “As an ambulance service, we have regularly experienced daily 999 call activity exceeding what would normally be expected on New Year’s Eve alone. This reflects the immense pressure that the ambulance and wider healthcare system has faced for some time.

“To allow our staff and volunteers to attend those who need emergency care in 2024 as quickly as possible, we ask everyone to use NHS services wisely. Look after yourself and those you love. Make use of services like pharmacies, NHS 111 and local GPs, to keep ambulances and A&E for life-threatening emergencies.”

Strategic commander, Greg Cox, added: “This is because people experiencing a life-threatening emergency such as a cardiac arrest, where a patient isn’t conscious or breathing, need the life-saving equipment and people on board our vehicles first.

“Crews in our emergency ambulances and fast response vehicles, volunteer responders and teams in our Emergency Operations Centres have worked fantastically over the first few hours of the year.

“Additionally, the support they have received from our mechanics, support staff and administration teams has been equally impressive.

“I wish everyone a safe, healthy and happy new year.”

EMAS advises to only use 999 for urgent and immediately life-threatening conditions, such as: cardiac arrest, suspected stroke, breathing difficulties, loss of consciousness an chest pain.