The region's ambulance service has issued yet another plea to the public ahead of the final weekend before Christmas. For the second time this week, North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) says more than 600 patients in the North West are waiting for ambulances this evening (December 16).
It comes days after one of the NHS trust's bosses issued a personal plea in the cold, delivering an 'urgent message for the public' amid surging 999 demand. Tonight there is a similar message, with hundreds currently waiting for support.
A spokesperson for NWAS wrote on Twitter: "Please stop and think before calling 999 tonight! Once again this week we have more than 600 patients waiting for ambulances and we are really sorry that we cannot respond as quickly as our patients expect.
"If you really need us, we will get to you but there will be a wait. Only call 999 if someone has a serious illness or injury, you think their life is at risk, and you cannot get them to hospital by any other means.
"For anything else, check your symptoms at http://111.nhs.uk and call on friends or relatives for transport if necessary." The message followed an earlier warning issued by NWAS this afternoon as people prepare to celebrate the final weekend before Christmas.
A spokesperson said: "If you are out and about across the north west celebrating Christmas this weekend, please enjoy, take care and drink responsibly. Please only ring 999 in a life-threatening emergency."
In a video message shared on Monday night, NWAS medical director Chris Grant apologised for the 'delay in getting care' to the public as he pleaded for help. "We've called in all our operational and clinical resources to make sure we prioritise those who have the most life threatening conditions," he added.
"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."
On Tuesday, NWAS said the 111 service was still experiencing a high volume of calls, while more than 300 patients waited for an ambulance - while another plea for 999 calls only in 'life threatening emergencies' was made yesterday. The Department of Health and Social Care described NWAS' recent performance as 'unacceptable' on Wednesday, as it promised billions of pounds over the next two years to fix the service.
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