South East Coast Ambulance urge people to plan ahead for long Easter weekend
It comes as they say they expect to receive 10s of thousands of calls to emergency and 111 lines this weekend
South East Coast Ambulance Service are urging people to plan ahead for the long Easter weekend.
The service say they expect to handle more than 13 thousand calls to its 999 service and 18 thousand to NHS 111.
They say by planning ahead and managing medications, it can make a "real difference".
SECAmb’s Head of Service for Integrated Care, Simon Clarke, who oversees the management of 999 and 111 contact centres, said: “Easter is a busy time for our service and our people do a fantastic job helping the many thousands of people who call for assistance.
“By planning ahead, particularly around managing medications and choosing the right service, people can make a real difference.
“We want everyone to enjoy a safe and happy Easter and we appreciate the public’s support in helping us manage demand.”
Top tips for when to call 999
If you think a patient is suffering from one of the following you must dial 999 for an ambulance:
- Heart attack (e.g. chest pain for more than 15 minutes)
- Sudden unexplained shortness of breath
- Heavy bleeding
- Unconsciousness (even if the patient has regained consciousness)
- Traumatic back/spinal/neck pain
You should also call for an ambulance if:
- You think the patient’s illness or injury is life-threatening
- You think the illness or injury may become worse, or even life-threatening on the way to the hospital
- Moving the patient/s without skilled people could cause further injury
- The patient needs the skills or equipment of the ambulance service and its personnel