THE South Western Ambulance Service is urging people to use its services responsibly this winter as it prepares for a challenging period.
The trust which runs the service expects to see significant and sustained demand across its 999 services this winter.
As winter approaches, flu and other respiratory illnesses are expected to rise, a drop in temperatures and ongoing pressures due to ambulance handover delays are set to compound the challenges already faced by the service.
The trust asks residents to following the below steps:
- Only call 999 when someone is seriously injured or ill and their life may be at risk.
- If you’re waiting for an ambulance, please don’t call 999 back — unless the patient’s condition has deteriorated or you no longer need an ambulance.
- For non-life-threatening emergencies, people can access appropriate care by visiting NHS 111 online, contacting their GP or getting advice from a pharmacy.