Ambulance service received more than 4,500 999 calls on hottest May day - 'busiest day outside of winter'
East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) received more than 4,500 999 calls on the hottest May day on record, which it has said was its “busiest day outside of winter”.
Following the hectic day on Tuesday May 26, when temperatures soared to more than 30C, EMAS declared a business continuity incident due to sustained pressure on services across the region, including a significant increase in demand for emergency care.
The incident was declared as services may have been disrupted “below expected levels” and additional arrangements were required to maintain patient care. Members of the public were asked to support by making sure they were choosing the correct service.
As of 1pm on Thursday May 28, the incident was stood down following a couple of cooler days. However, pressures still remain and the service says it is focused on “improving response times” and “reducing wait times”.
A spokesperson for EMAS said: “On Tuesday May 26, EMAS handled more than 4,500 999 calls – one of the busiest days experienced outside of winter.
"While the business continuity incident has been stood down, we know the pressures experienced over the past week remain.
"Our focus now is on recovery – improving response times and reducing the waits patients have experienced across our communities, while continuing to prioritise the most life-threatening and serious incidents.
"This will be supported by continued senior oversight and coordination over the coming weeks.”
EMAS also thanked staff and volunteers who “worked tirelessly during this period to continue supporting patients across the region”, as well as NHS partners for their continued support.