Help reduce New Year’s 999 strain

AMBULANCE crews are gearing up for their busiest night of the year and asking people to make a New Year’s resolution to ensure that they use their ambulance service wisely in 2012.
By The Newsroom
Published 30th Dec 2011, 14:59 BST

Call demand often doubles on New Year’s Eve, with 2,050 calls made between 8pm and 5am last year.

Assistant chief ambulance officer Mark Gough, said: “While the vast majority of people will be out celebrating, our staff will be working flat out. We will have dozens of additional staff working overnight staffing additional ambulances and rapid response vehicles.

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“The last thing we want to do is to stop people having a good time but our experience of previous Hogmanay celebrations means that we will be expecting to see many preventable injuries.”

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Head of security and safety Steve Elliker added: “Sadly we will have staff who will experience people shouting abuse at them. Others will be kicked and even spat at. Make no mistake, we will press charges. Our staff are there to help people in their hour of need, please allow them to do so without fear of violence.”