Ambulance calls up by a fifth (From Bucks Free Press)

Ambulance calls up by a fifth

5:51pm Monday 21st December 2009 in

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AMBULANCE crews saw their workload increase by almost a fifth as the snow hit.

Calls went up by 16 per cent with paramedics attending 93 falls in Bucks.

Falls accounted for about one in five calls received between Saturday night and midday today.

They went to a total 517 calls in that period in Bucks.

It warned weather conditions will worsen in the next 24 hours.

John Nichols, South Central Ambulance service divisional director for Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, said: “Christmas coupled with bad weather always puts a huge strain on the NHS.

“We’d ask the public to carefully consider which service they need, how they contact the NHS and to dial 999 only for real medical emergencies. ’ It urged people not to go out “unless you absolutely have to” and pack blankets and hot drinks when driving.

In a statement it said: “If ambulance crews are called out to those people suffering from minor illnesses they cannot get to those people who really do need their help.”