Paramedics at South Western Ambulance Service are urging members of the public to choose appropriately this Easter Bank Holiday as demand for the ambulance service is expected to increase.
The South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) is expecting more than 11,000 incidents over the Easter Bank Holiday weekend.
You can help staff and volunteers to help those most in need by only calling 999 in a life threatening emergency.
SWASFT is making more staff and vehicles available to combat the increased demand and is also advising members of the public to stop and think before dialling 999 for an emergency ambulance and to consider alternative treatment options if appropriate.
Examples of when to call 999 include choking, chest pain, stroke, serious blood loss and unconsciousness.
Using the ambulance service in the correct way helps the Trust ensure that the most appropriate response is provided to those with a genuine clinical need.
Alternative healthcare options for less serious conditions include; visiting your local pharmacy, visiting a minor injuries unit or NHS walk-in centre, or calling NHS111.
Dr Andy Smith, Medical Executive Director of SWASFT, said: “As the first busy Bank Holiday weekend in the south west approaches, we are predicting increased levels of calls to the 999 emergency ambulance service.
“With extra staff on duty, round the clock, we’re ready but the truth is we have a finite number of ambulances and highly-trained staff available.
“This means we will, as always, prioritise and focus on those patients in a time-critical life-threatening condition.
“We’re committed to delivering the right care, in the right place, at the right time for the 5.3 million residents plus the 17.5 million visitors we serve in our region. But over the Easter break we’d like to ask the public to stop and think ‘is this an emergency’ before dialling 999.”
Dr Andy Smith continued: “All our staff out on the road and in the clinical hubs are working extremely hard to deliver the right care to our patients.
“This Bank Holiday weekend we want to ensure that residents and tourists alike know where to access the most appropriate treatment depending on what is wrong with them.
“There are a wide variety of healthcare services available for a range of conditions and it is really important that people choose well, especially during periods when the demand for the ambulance service is high.”
The South Western Ambulance Service is expecting around 300 incidents in the B&NES area between Good Friday and Bank Holiday Monday.
