South East Coast Ambulance Service calls for public support amid critical incident
The service declared a critical incident earlier this week
South East Coast Ambulance Service (Secamb) is calling for ‘continued support’ after declaring a critical incident earlier this week.
The ambulance service said: “We really need your continued support - it makes a real difference to our teams.
“Although the temperatures are starting to drop, we’re still expecting high demand over the coming days. We’re continuing to work incredibly hard to help everyone who needs us.”
Secamb declared a critical incident at 22:40 on Thursday, 27 June.
At the point of declaration there were a significant number of outstanding calls waiting for an ambulance response, including a number of higher acuity incidents.
It followed one of the busiest days the service had seen this year, alongside ongoing pressure across the wider health and care system and additional demand linked to the current hot weather.
The service is also urging people only to call 999 if it’s life-threatening.
Strategic Commander, James Pavey, said earlier this week: “By declaring a critical incident, it allows our teams to focus our efforts on those patients who need us most. We are therefore focusing our resources on life threatening emergencies.
“People contacting us with less serious conditions are likely to experience longer waits. In some cases, patients may be clinically assessed and advised to seek alternative care, rather than an ambulance being dispatched.
“We are asking the public to support us during this time by only calling 999 in a life threatening emergency.”
If you need medical help but it is not an emergency, the public is being urged to consider using NHS 111 online or by phone, or seeking help from a GP, pharmacist or urgent treatment centre.