Plan Ahead This Festive Season Warns West Midlands Ambulance Service
Jim Hancox urges residents to prepare for busy holiday period as ambulance crews brace for spike in demand
The period between Christmas and New Year is one of the busiest for West Midlands Ambulance Service with crews responding to a surge in emergencies as people travel and celebrate. Jim Hancox from the service says planning ahead is crucial to stay safe and avoid preventable emergencies during the festive break.
“Shops will be shut” Hancox explains. “So things like stock up on paracetamol or ibuprofen or anything that you might need from an over-the-counter perspective is plan ahead. Remember when you can and can't get to the shops or to see parts of whether it's pharmacies will be closed or your GP will be closed. So just try and plan ahead and think about when you might need to make contact.”
While Christmas Day and Boxing Day often see steady activity Hancox says the days in between can be unexpectedly busy. “Sometimes people might have thought they don’t need help over Christmas and Boxing Day and then realise actually they do need to access the NHS and have put it off a little bit and then waiting for important times when they might want to spend time with their friends and family to pass.”
He highlights the pressure the ambulance service faces on New Year’s Eve and into the bank holiday period with hospitals and GPs often overwhelmed. “New Year's Eve is a very busy evening for us... there's a kind of a snowball effect of how busy we are overnight that pushes through into the bank holiday on New Year's Day and beyond.”
For anyone travelling over the holidays Hancox advises careful preparation. “Make sure you've planned for your journey whatever means of transport you're using to get from A to B. Think about going when the weather is suitable when probably the roads aren't as busy. I think it is all about planning... being prepared for whatever may happen and keeping yourself up to speed in that regard.”
He stresses the importance of vehicle safety: “Make sure your car is roadworthy check your tyres check all of the things that you would need to do make sure it's fuelled make sure you've got the antifreeze the brakes all those kind of things. You can do a check ahead of time to make sure that you're safe and unlikely to come to any mishap on your journey and get stuck out in the cold.”
With many people making longer journeys to visit friends and family timing is key. “If you can avoid taking a journey at a time when everyone else is on the road you'll probably have a more pleasant journey because you won't be stuck in traffic and you can utilise that time better.”
On the social side of the holidays Hancox offers advice for those attending Christmas parties or nights out: “Stay safe. It's that time of year where it's really nice to celebrate... but to do it in a safe way where we're not putting ourselves into harm whether that's through the excesses of alcohol or drugs or whatever it may be just to keep yourself safe. Keep your drinks with you at all times. Wear appropriate clothing especially as it can be cold on your way home.”
He reminds people that ambulance crews and other emergency services are there to help but urges responsible use of resources. “We want to make sure that we've got the resources to deal with the most critically ill and injured people. For minor ailments and illnesses there are other places you can go — pharmacists GPs walk-in centres. But if you really need help do not hesitate to contact us.”
West Midlands Ambulance Service has robust plans in place for the busy period. “We know when the demand is for us and the weekend before Christmas we always see a spike in demand in terms of the 999 calls that we take. We'll be preparing by putting additional ambulances out to match anticipated demand.”
Hancox also flagged a recent unexpected challenge: “We've seen a big spike in flu cases not just in this region but across the UK. That’s why we’re urging people to get vaccinated. We’re using masks in all clinical settings now to protect patients and staff.”
He concludes by reassuring the public: “I would like to think that people will be reassured that if they do need an ambulance over Christmas we'll do our very best to get there and help people.”