East Midlands Ambulance Service handles nearly 1,000 emergency calls in just seven hours on New Year’s Day

Ambulance crews responded to nearly 1,000 calls in the first seven hours of the new year.

East Midlands Ambulance Service(EMAS), which covers Lincolnshire, Rutland, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, and Derbyshire, had received more than 600 calls by 3.30am.

Bosses said the numbers were expected and 999 calls included cardiac arrests, medical issues, and road traffic collisions.

Gary Lockley, head of EMAS’s emergency operations centre, commended control centre staff in Lincoln and Nottingham for answering calls within an average of six seconds during the busy night.

“There has been a noticeable increase in the number of calls due to people being intoxicated after consuming excessive amounts of alcohol; in some of these cases, individuals had also fallen, causing injury.”

NHS leaders expect to remain busy in the coming days and urge people with non-life-threatening issues to consider contacting other healthcare services, such as pharmacies and GPs.

They can also seek advice through 111 online or by phone.

Jim Richardson, EMAS strategic commander, praised the commitment of ambulance staff and volunteers.

“As many welcomed in the new year, in addition to the tremendous work of our control centre colleagues, our emergency and urgent ambulance colleagues, non-emergency patient transport teams, and volunteer responders worked incredibly hard to respond to patient need – often in the most challenging and, at times, hostile environments,” he said.

“They have been supported by managers and on-call officers liaising with staff in busy hospitals, other healthcare facilities, and blue light services to ensure a collaborative response to the significant increase in demand.”

He urged appropriate NHS use to keep ambulances available for emergencies.

As the region braces for further pressure, new weather warnings for snow and ice have been issued, with services urging people to plan ahead and take precautions when venturing out.

EMAS advises individuals to carry essentials, such as regular medication, to manage long-term conditions.