Ambulance trust declares critical incident due to ‘extreme pressures’ over Christmas

South Western Ambulance Service has declared a critical incident due to ‘extreme pressures’ faced over the Christmas break.

As of 11.30am today, 482 patients were waiting for ambulances across the region , with 106 patients awaiting handover at hospitals in the region.

Critical incident status means that ambulance trusts struggle to provide usual services – with the situation likely to impact patients.

Declaring an official incident allows trusts to prioritise the patients most in need and to instigate additional measures.

Wayne Darch, deputy director of operations for the South Western Ambulance Service, said: ‘Please help us to help the patients who need us most by only calling 999 if a patient has a life-threatening condition or illness.

‘If the condition of a patient is not life-threatening we may direct them to an alternative service. So please help us by accessing the right service for the care you need.

‘We are doing all we can to manage these winter pressures and we are sorry that we are unable to respond to some patients as quickly as we would like. We will get to you as soon as we can.

‘Please do not call back simply to ask for an estimated time of arrival of an ambulance. We cannot provide one, and it blocks our lines for other callers.’

The incident follows the same declaration by South East Ambulance Service on Tuesday due to a ‘week of sustained pressure’.

Meanwhile Sandwell and West Birmingham NHS Trust said it was seeing ‘immense pressure’ on its services and has had to declare a critical incident due to ‘exceptionally high numbers’ of patients awaiting treatment in its A&E departments.

Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust said it has taken the same action after seeing ‘record numbers’ of patients in A&E, calling 999 and 111 and accessing GP services.

Many ambulance services and hospital trusts across the UK have urged members of the public on their websites and Twitters to only dial 999 in ‘list-threatening; emergencies, and encouraged people to call 111, contact their GP or visit their local pharmacists.

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