More than 1200 calls were made in the first nine hours of 2023
East Midlands Ambulance Service recorded over 1222 calls to 999, in the first nine hours of the New Year
Last updated 2nd Jan 2023
Over 1222 calls were made to the East Midlands Ambulance Service in the first nine hours of 2023.
These vast amount of calls came in between midnight and 9:00am on the 1st of January.
This is the first time in the last three years that people have been able to enjoy the New Year without restrictions.
However, this huge number of calls have urged the service to remind people to only call 999 for urgent and life-threatening conditions, such as strokes and heart attacks.
It's said the demand on the ambulance service continues to be as a result of the wider healthcare system remaining under intense pressure.
The Strategic Commander, Richard Lyne said: “Due to the unprecedented levels of demand our service has seen across the last year, the number of 999 calls received this morning were not actually outside the figures we would see on a normal day.
“As we go into 2023, we need each and every person in the East Midlands to play their part by being responsible for their own health and really considering which healthcare service they need before taking action.
“This will enable us to continue to focus on getting to those patients who really need us in a life-threatening emergency such as a cardiac arrest or experiencing a stroke.
“I would like to send my personal thanks to all our amazing staff who have worked hard to keep our communities safe this new year, and who I know will continue to do so over the next 364 days too. This includes crews in our emergency ambulances and fast response vehicles, those manning the city centre triage units, teams in our Emergency Operations Centres, our Patient Transport Service, our mechanics, support staff and administration teams, as well as all our volunteers too.
“In addition, I wish you all a Happy New Year."
People looking for help for less serious conditions, are advised to go to GP surgeries, pharmacies, Urgent Treatment Centres, or to visit NHS111 online, or go to a local walk-in centre.