The North West Ambulance Service has issued a new plea just days after 600 patients were left stranded waiting for ambulances. On Thursday (December 15), the service urged patients to only resort to calling 999 in a 'life threatening emergency' due to the current high demand.
The trust said they were 'busy' and added that patients in major emergencies would have the next available ambulance dispatched to them, but that others who are not in life-threatening emergencies 'may have to wait longer'.
On Monday night, the medical director of North West Ambulance Service, Chris Grant, shared a video message as he stood outside in the cold, admitting that 111 and 999 services were being overwhelmed, with 600 people were left stranded without help as they waited for an ambulance.
In a tweet on Thursday afternoon, the North West Ambulance Service posted: "We are busy today! Please only ring 999 in a life-threatening emergency. On these occasions, the next available ambulance will be dispatched; however other patients may wait longer than we would like."
The post comes after NWAS revealed that 600 patients were waiting for an ambulance across the North West, with 100 emergency vehicles were parked outside of hospitals waiting to handover patients as of 5pm on Monday. Members of the public were asked to only call the emergency line if absolutely necessary and admitted the service was extremely stretched across the region.
'Severe weather and hospital handover delays' were just some of the factors having an impact on the service. All clinically-trained staff were called to the front line, with private providers also called in.
In the video message, Mr Grant said: "Tonight, across both our 111 and 999 services, we're seeing really significant demand. And I apologise in the delay in getting care to you. But I do need your help. We've called in all our operational and clinical resources to make sure we prioritise those who have the most life threatening conditions.
"We need to keep our phone lines free. So please, only call us back if you no longer need our help or if your own condition has gotten significantly worse."
Then on Tuesday, the North West Ambulance Service said the trust’s 111 service was still experiencing a significant number of calls, with "300 calls waiting, while over 300 patients wait for an available ambulance and over 40 emergency vehicles are experiencing substantial handover wait times with patients at several regional hospitals".
The Department of Health and Social Care issued a statement to the Manchester Evening News calling the performance 'unacceptable', promising billions of pounds over the next two years to fix the service.
The latest turmoil comes ahead of impending industrial action, as paramedics, call handlers, emergency care assistants and other ambulance workers have voted in their masses to strike - over pay and patient safety.
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