Rising demand from 999 callers as waiting times increase

DEVON and Cornwall’s Police and Crime Commissioner has been criticised over increasing wait times for 999 calls after it emerged callers were holding for an average of 25 seconds to have an emergency call answered.

However, Police and Crime Commissioner Alison Hernandez insisted she had pushed for a cut to 999 waiting times to under 10 seconds by December. The figures were discussed at the Devon and Cornwall police and crime panel, where it was revealed there had been a sharp increase in people using the force’s contact centre, with over 900,000 trying to get in touch, by phone or online in the 12 months to September 2022. In the year to July 2022, there were 82,322 more 999 calls received than in the 12 months to June 2019 – an increase of over 35%.

Panel member and Conservative councillor Nicky Hopwood said she did not criticise call centre staff, but added: “When you’re dialling 999, to go and wait eight seconds, which was what the previous score was in 2021, it’s now gone up by 18 seconds – it’s really not good enough for the public and I don’t think is acceptable. And I think you’ve agreed in the past it’s not acceptable.”

Commissioner Hernandez said: “There are some really serious issues that are affecting performance in that control room. Over the years, they have brought in multiple people from outside to help, which I have supported them in.”

There was further criticism of the 101 service. Figures showed socalled ‘priority two’ calls had average wait times in the 12 months to September 2022 of 38 minutes, six seconds. Ms Hernandez said she was asking for a triage system to be used to assess the urgency of each call.