‘Don’t call an ambulance that
FESTIVE drinkers are being warned that the emergency services are “not a taxi service” to get them home.
Christmas is always a busy time for the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS), with the trust answering 1,559 emergency calls on the Friday before December 25 last year.
That’s around 200 more than it would usually receive on an average Friday.
The service also experienced a high demand on New Year’s Eve, answering 1,707 calls, and 2,042 on New Year’s Day.
Ambulance bosses are now preparing for another busy weekend, as well as Boxing Day, December 27 and New Year’s Eve.
Simon Swallow, strategic head of resilience at NEAS, said people can help by only dialling 999 for medical emergencies.
He added: “We want everyone to have a good time, but please don’t ruin your fun this Christmas and New Year by ending up in the back of an ambulance.
“Please think before you pick up the phone. Do you really need an ambulance or is there another way of you getting help?
“We would particularly like to remind people that we are not a taxi service.
“We receive a lot of calls at this time of year from people who want a lift home, often because they haven’t left themselves enough money to get home themselves. That call could stop someone who genuinely requires an ambulance from being able to get through to us.”
Between December 23 and 28 last