Welsh Ambulance Service declares critical incident amid 'high level of demand'
3 December 2020, 16:45 | Updated: 3 December 2020, 16:51
The Welsh Ambulance Service has declared a critical incident because of a high level of demand, particularly in South East Wales.
The service said as a result, some patients may wait longer for help, while others could be advised to make alternative arrangements if their call is not life-threatening, including making their own way to hospital if necessary.
The Trust is asking the public to call 999 only for serious and life-threatening emergencies.
Lee Brooks, the Trust’s Director of Operations, said: “There are actions underway to deal with this demand, but we really need the public to work with us on this.
“Please only call 999 if it’s a serious or life-threatening emergency – I’m talking cardiac arrest, chest pain or breathing difficulties, loss of consciousness, choking, catastrophic bleeding, etc.
“If it’s less serious, then we need you to think about the alternatives available to you, including using our 111 Wales online symptom checkers or seeking advice from your GP or pharmacist.
“As always, we’ll be dealing with patients in order of clinical priority, so the sickest patients will be seen first.
“If your call is less urgent, you may wait longer for help, or be asked to make an alternative arrangement, including making your own way to hospital if necessary.
“We’re hopeful that the actions we’ve put in place will start to take effect in the next couple of hours, but until then, help us help you and only call us if it’s a genuine emergency.”
More to follow...
