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8:43am Wednesday 2nd January 2008
This New Year's Eve was the busiest for London's ambulance service since the Millennium.
Between midnight and 4am the service dealt with 1,825 calls, a 16 per cent increase on the previous year.
“The majority of calls we have responded to have been alcohol-related, which we always anticipate to be the case on what is our busiest night of the year."
Jason Killens
At the busiest point in the evening staff were taking more than 500 emergency calls an hour - more than four times what they would expect to deal with on a normal night.
There were a high number of calls concerning alcohol-related incidents. The London Ambulance Service operated an alternative response vehicle to deal with these calls to free up regular ambulances to deal wit more life threatening incidents.
Assistant director of operations Jason Killens said: "The majority of calls we have responded to have been alcohol-related, which we always anticipate to be the case on what is our busiest night of the year.
"We have used extra resources, such as an alternative response vehicle and staff on foot with medical equipment, and have worked with St John Ambulance to provide 13 temporary treatment centres. This helped us to manage the increase in demand and ensured people out celebrating in the centre of London received the most appropriate medical care as quickly as possible.
"I'd like to thank our frontline staff who have worked extremely hard to care for patients on a night of exceptionally high demand, and those in our Emergency Operations Centre who have worked tirelessly dealing with a huge number of calls."
Peter, Amsterdam says...
11:47am Wed 2 Jan 08
Bob wrote:What do you expect in modern day delinquent Britain?
How about charging for alcohol related call outs? It's a self inflicited injury, if you can't handle your booze don't drink.
Michael, Twickenham says...
11:54am Wed 2 Jan 08
jay, says...
2:39pm Wed 2 Jan 08
How about charging for alcohol related call outs? It's a self inflicited injury,
cary, says...
2:54pm Wed 2 Jan 08
Bob, Cheam says...
4:13pm Wed 2 Jan 08
jay wrote:Or charging persons like yourself for the mental health facilities you are clearly in need of.
How about charging for alcohol related call outs? It's a self inflicited injury,
so is not looking when you cross the road , smoking, eating artery clogging fatty fast foods , sports injuries and DIY accidents.
The NHS is there to help and treat people not to judge them and people do pay for it through their NIS contributions.
What next we tax black people more to pay for operation trident officers plus all the hospital time thats taken up with shooting and stabbing victims.
andy, says...
12:52pm Thu 3 Jan 08
Angie P, Wimbledon says...
2:46pm Thu 3 Jan 08
David, Croydon says...
3:45pm Thu 3 Jan 08
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Bob, Cheam says...
10:09am Wed 2 Jan 08