Person calls 999 ... after stubbing toe
Handlers reveal ‘emergencies’
APERSON called 999 for an ambulance because they had stubbed their toe.
The minor ailment is just one of a number of inappropriate calls received by emergency call handlers in Greater Manchester in the last month.
According to the North West Ambulance Service, another person rang for help because they had mucus in their throat.
Elsewhere in the region, a man dialled 999 because they had been bitten by a snake... two weeks earlier.
Call-handlers also took a request for help from a concerned parent because their baby had sucked on a bacterial wipe.
Other calls included a person who had a lump on their groin, another who hadn’t passed urine for three days, and a person who had developed a rash on the site of their flu vaccine.
A spokesman for NWAS said none of the calls were hoax calls – all were genuine concerns – but the caller could have found more appropriate care elsewhere.
The NHS #MakeTheRightCall campaign aims to promote alternative pathways of care, so that emergency services can be available to help those who need it the most.
Derek Cartwright, chief executive of NWAS, said: “Less than half of our 999 calls are for lifethreatening emergencies which means there are many patients that could get better care by going elsewhere for treatment.
“Only the most serious 999 calls will receive a fast ambulance response and, therefore, those with minor injuries are likely to find it quicker and more convenient to make their own way to hospital or to use alternatives such as pharmacies, GPs, walk-in centres or self-care.
“The campaign aims to help people understand what their options are and where to find care for less-urgent illnesses.
NWAS receives more than one million emergency calls each year from across the north west.
The NHS 111 service currently operates in Greater Manchester providing non-emergency medical help fast.