Cornwall's ambulance service is taking one emergency call every 26 seconds
South Western Ambulance Service has issued a fresh appeal not to call 999 unless it is an emergency, as the school holidays start
The ambulance service that covers Cornwall has revealed it has been taking one emergency call every 26 seconds.
South Western Ambulance Service has issued a fresh appeal for the summer holidays, after recently recording its busiest week in history.
In the seven days to Sunday 18th July, the trust responded to over 23,000 incidents.
Truro-based paramedic Paul Kimberley has worked for the ambulance service for 27 years and says he has never known it so busy.
"We are on our knees - we are so, so busy"
Paul said: "When people get frustrated with calling 111 and it's ringing and ringing or they're frustrated when they're number 10 in the call list for the GP, they put the phone down and call 999 and that really isn't the answer because we still triage calls when they come in.
"If your call is for a minor issue or a minor ailment, then you will not be very high on the priority list because we have to focus on the life-threatening conditions.
"Chest pains, breathing difficulties, heart attacks, strokes, road accidents, people who fall from heights, allergic reactions, severe bleeding, severe head injuries - things like that; those will always take priority
"And I'm sure the public will appreciate that. They'll appreciate that we're doing our best to get to everybody but we need to go to the people that are in the most danger of a life-threatening situation.
"My colleagues and I are on our knees. It's so, so busy. We're just unprecedented for the amount of people".
South Western Ambulance Service Paramedic, Paul Kimberley
When should I call 999?
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If it is not a life-threatening emergency, you can check where else to go for treatment here.
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