New students ‘competed to see who could be hospitalised’

Hard-partying York University undergraduates face inquiry over freshers’ week ‘ambulance chart’

YORK University is investigating students who have been accused of wasting NHS funds after they boasted of having an “ambulance chart” for freshers’ week.

The tally charts, which were pinned up in university halls of residence, keep a log of how many times the emergency services have been called on to assist inebriated students.

University authorities have now launched an inquiry, after a group of students were photographed laughing as they pointed at the charts.

In previous years, students have used “chunder charts” on freshers’ week, to chronicle the number of times they have vomited after a night out.

Police have criticised the ambulance charts as “mindless”, while university authorities have been urged to do more to end the “permissive” culture of freshers’ week.

Numerous members of the student flat which had the alcohol chart pinned up in the kitchen were hospitalised during freshers’ week, according to student newspaper The Tab.

One needed emergency root canal treatment after getting into a fight on a night out, while another dislocated his shoulder after jumping from a 15ft wall.

Two housemates who appear on the chart say they had their drinks spiked, and a friend dialled 999 twice in the same night after seeing the condition of the two girls when they got home.

The following day, another ambulance was needed after a student jumped off a wall after a night out and dislocated his shoulder.

Once in hospital, he reportedly woke up in a bed next to another flatmate, who was rushed to hospital the same night after suffering from alcohol poisoning.

One flatmate, who had not yet appeared on the ambulance chart, told

The Tab: “It’s the one chart I actually do want to get on. On Thursday, it’s happening.”

PC Claire Mcnaney, the alcohol harm reduction officer at Durham Constabulary, said she was “flabbergasted” to see students appearing to compete on who has been taken off in an ambulance most often.

She said: “When we are dealing with serious incidents where ambulances are needed, we often find they are not available. This is really dangerous, it is life-threatening.”

PC Mcnaney, who has advised York Police on student safety, added: “I am all up for people having a good time – not when they are competing [for ambulances]. It is really mindless and dangerous.”

Sir Anthony Seldon, vice-chancellor at Buckingham University, has previously accused universities of turning a blind eye to freshers’ week “excesses”, and urged institutions to end their “permissive” culture.

He told The Daily Telegraph that universities have a moral duty to teach their students how to become “responsible adults”.

“Universities need to accept that they have a pastoral responsibility for their students, to provide a guidance and leadership role,” he said.

“This is not about infantilising them, but helping them learn how to be responsible adults. At the moment we are seeing a lack of moral leadership from universities.”

‘I am all for people having a good time – not when they compete for ambulances. It’s mindless and dangerous’