Ambulance service in plea over non-serious call outs (From York Press)

Yorkshire Ambulance Service in plea over non-serious call outs

8:05am Thursday 22nd December 2011 in News

A TROUBLESOME contact lens and a case of toothache are two recent examples of people inappropriately dialling 999, according to Yorkshire Ambulance Service.

As emergency services and hospitals brace themselves for a significant increase in 999 calls over Christmas and New Year, ambulance bosses have urged people with minor illnesses and injuries to consider more appropriate healthcare services, such as a visit to a GP, walk-in-centre, minor injuries unit, pharmacist, or call NHS Direct.

Ambulance Service chief executive David Whiting said: “We will always respond to medical emergencies where it is believed someone needs time-critical help, but our crews often arrive to find people merely require treatment or advice for a minor condition. These calls divert emergency resources away from those with potentially life-threatening conditions such as a heart attack or stroke and can cause dangerous delays.

“We expect demand for our service to increase over the next few weeks due to ill health exasperated by the cold weather and more people being out and about to celebrate the festivities, so if we can reduce the number of inappropriate calls, this would be of great benefit to us and the patients we serve.”

Michael Williams, emergency department consultant at York Teaching Hospital NHS Trust, said: “We do not want to stop people going to A&E or calling 999 when they have a genuine emergency. However, several studies show that a fair proportion of people who show up at A&E could have sought advice and treatment from other health services.

“During the busy winter period this means we have to prioritise people accordingly which can mean non-urgent cases waiting up to four hours to be seen.

“Giving some thought to where you go for treatment not only ensures you receive the most appropriate treatment in the quickest time possible, but also helps to reduce the pressures placed on A&E departments at this demanding time of year.”

While the NHS walk-in centre on Monkgate will be closed on Christmas Day, people seeking medical help over Christmas are advised of alternatives such as NHS Direct, which is available on 0845 46 47 for free confidential advice on symptoms and treatment options.