PEOPLE are being urged to only call 999 if their condition is serious or life-threatening as pressures on Yorkshire Ambulance Service reach boiling point.
It has now moved to the highest level of escalation – severe pressure - amid an “extremely high volume of calls”.
Health minister Maria Caulfield told the Commons that ambulance services are facing “the sort of pressures we would normally expect to see in winter” and that it was “extremely concerning for the months ahead”.
Her comments came as she answered an urgent question from Labour about ambulance services and the declaration of a national heatwave emergency.
Bradford West MP Naz Shah said: “24 hours in A&E used to be a (reality) TV programme, now it’s Government policy.”
Ms Caulfield said she would be meeting all 11 ambulance trusts in the coming days to ensure they are able to deal with pressures now and are prepared for “inevitable and forthcoming” winter pressures.
A Yorkshire Ambulance Service spokesperson said: “An extremely high volume of calls is currently having a significant impact on both our 999 and NHS 111 operations.
“We have taken the decision to move to REAP (Resource Escalation Action Plan) Level 4, our highest level of escalation, and while the situation is being managed in line with the plans that we have in place to protect our core services, unfortunately there are patients who are facing delays and we are very sorry that we are unable to respond to them as quickly as we would like.
“All emergency calls are categorised according to the nature of a patient’s illness or injury and those in a life-threatening condition are always prioritised. It’s important that members of the public only call 999 for an ambulance when it is a serious or life-threatening emergency. This will help us to focus our efforts on our most poorly patients.”
The spokesperson added: “You can also help us by not calling back to check where the ambulance is as we need those phone lines to be free for those in a life-threatening condition. However, if the condition of the patient changes or if you feel you no longer need an ambulance, it’s important that you let us know.
“For anyone with less serious illnesses and injuries, they should consider self-care, their local pharmacy, GP surgery, urgent care centre or making their own way to the emergency department. Our NHS 111 service is also available online at 111.nhs.uk or by calling 111.
“We will continue to monitor the situation closely and thank all our hard-working staff and volunteers for their efforts at this challenging time.”
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