South East Coast Ambulance service call for cooperation amid high summer demand
Those in Kent asked to use 999 wisely as heatwave drives up calls
Amid soaring summer heat and the start of school holidays, South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) is appealing to the public for support due to an unprecedented rise in emergency calls.
Between 22nd June and 12th July, SECAmb handled nearly 78,000 emergency calls, marking a 16% increase from the same period last year, driven largely by temperatures consistently exceeding 30 degrees.
The NHS 111 service also saw a rise in demand, with over 72,000 calls across Kent, Medway, and Sussex, representing a 10% uptick from 2025.
John O'Sullivan, SECAmb's Divisional Director of Integrated Care, urged the public to reserve 999 calls for life-threatening emergencies and to explore other resources like NHS 111 and local pharmacies for non-critical advice and care.
Speaking to Hits and Greatest Hits Radio, South East Coast Ambulance Service operations manager Vikki Lewis said:
"We've been continuing to see and experience a sustained demand across our service following this prolonged period of hot weather that we've seen.
"Since the start of July, our emergency operations centre teams have handled around 90,000 calls.
"And although we've stood down from a critical incident that we were in and declared during that June heat wave, we still remain extremely busy and are operating at our highest level of escalation at the moment."
She added that those in serous danger should still be comfortable talking to the service, but that not everything was an emergency:
"We obviously ask patients to call 999 if there is a genuine life-threatening emergency. Those, you know, are the kind of unconsciousness, chest pain, the stroke-like symptoms, the signs of sepsis, and that's not an exhaustive list.
"However, if their condition is non-life threatening, we can still, you know, deal with them.
"Not everybody that calls the ambulance service will get an ambulance. It's what we have got is a team of clinicians who can then signpost patients to where is the most suitable to be dealt.
"We have a very good working relationship with the urgent community response teams and work closely with them every day in order for patients to receive care in the community as opposed to, you know, having to queue in A&E."
To manage heightened demand, SECAmb is prioritising severely ill and injured patients while also expanding virtual consultations to provide care over the phone.
This initiative allows healthcare professionals to triage cases effectively, ensuring ambulances remain available for critical situations.
Residents are encouraged to take health precautions during the warm weather, such as staying hydrated, using shade, managing prescriptions timely, and looking out for vulnerable individuals.
O'Sullivan praised the dedication of SECAmb staff and volunteers during this demanding period and called for public cooperation to maintain efficiency in responding to emergencies.