Ambulance service urge public to use service wisely

Last year, the Trust was called 2,050 times in the nine hours between 8.00pm on New Year’s Eve and 5.00am on New Year’s Day. This compares with an average of around 2,500 calls for a whole day normally.

Assistant Chief Ambulance Officer, Mark Gough, said: “While the vast majority of people in the Region 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.

“In addition, we will be working with voluntary organisations including St. John Ambulance, the Red Cross and Community First Responders to run Temporary Minor Injury Units in Birmingham, Walsall and Shrewsbury to deal with revellers who have a mishap such as cuts, bumps bruises and just being too drunk to keep themselves safe.

“The last thing we want to do is to stop people having a good time and welcoming in the New Year in fine style but our experience of previous Hogmanay celebrations means that we will be expecting to see many preventable injuries.

“Sadly, because our staff are dealing with these, they aren’t available to get to the truly life threatening calls as quickly as they might have been able to which ultimately puts the lives of other people at risk.

“Enjoy yourself but please follow this simple advice and don’t drink too much:

· Alternate alcoholic drinks with a glass of water or fruit juice – this will help to prevent you becoming dehydrated

· Never drink on an empty stomach

· Pace yourself by taking small sips

· Drinking in rounds can mean you end up drinking more than you intended. Opt out and drink at your own pace

· To avoid your drink being tampered with, never leave it unattended

As well as being busy, ambulance crews find themselves on the receiving end of anti-social behaviour from patients and the public who are often the worse for wear from drink or drugs.

Steve Elliker, West Midlands Ambulance Service’s Head of Security and Safety said: “Most people go out to have a good time with family and friends and to celebrate the New Year, so please treat our staff as you would want to be treated yourself.

“Sadly, if this year is like the last few, we will have staff who will experience people shouting abuse at them; others will be kicked and punched and even spat at by patients and their friends and family.

“Make no mistake, wherever possible, we will press charges and work tirelessly to make people account for their despicable actions in the courts. Our staff are there to help people in their hour of need; please allow them to do so without fear or violence.”

If you would like to keep up to date with advice and information about how the start of 2012 is going for West Midlands Ambulance Service, you can, for the first time, do so via social media.

Communications Director, Murray MacGregor, said: “We know there is a genuine interest in the Trust as we now have around 2,000 Twitter followers and 500 Facebook friends.

“This year we will be updating both with a stream of information about incidents and advice which can help people get through the celebrations safely. You can find us by searching for ‘@officialwmas’ and then get updates throughout the night and beyond.”

Medical Director, Dr Andy Carson, added: “After all the partying is over, many people will be suffering from a hangover. Unbelievably, every year we receive a number of 999 calls from people who are simply recovering from the night before.

“A hangover does not warrant a 999 call and people should self treat at home by drinking as much water as you can before you go to sleep and during the next day. Take paracetamol or another painkiller to treat your headache and antacid to settle your stomach.”

Please follow these guidelines to avoid the need to dial 999:

· Step 1: Keep your own medicine cabinet stocked with common remedies for coughs, colds and headaches as well as items such as sticking plasters for minor wounds and grazes

· Step 2: Visit your local pharmacy for over the counter medicines and advice

· Step 3: Call NHS Direct for advice on 0845 46 47 or log onto their website at www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk They can give a wide range of advice and information about many conditions

· Step 4: Use a ‘walk-in’ treatment centre or visit a minor injuries unit.

· Step 5: Make an appointment with your own GP. There is also an out-of-hours service available

· Step 6: In an emergency go to your local A&E department or call 999 for an ambulance.

If you are unfortunate enough to still need to dial 999, please remember to keep calm so that information can be recorded accurately and quickly. You should also listen carefully to the advice given by the Emergency Medical Dispatchers.