A 30-year-old man from Northfleet dialled 999...because he needed a taxi.

That's just one example of the many calls which has frustrated members of the South East Coast Ambulance Service.

In the run-up to Christmas the ambulance service sees a steep increase in the number of emergency calls it receives.

As a result the trust is calling on the public to think twice before dialling 999 for an ambulance during this busy period.

The control centre in Kent took 17,038 calls in December compared to 15,163 calls in November last year. This equated to a 12 per cent increase.

Chief executive Paul Sutton said: “We see the number of calls during the festive period increase because there are a lot more people out shopping and partying.

"We do not want to stop people from enjoying themselves. However, we would ask them to think before dialling 999.”

“The ambulance service is there to provide an emergency service to those people who require urgent medical attention at hospital and cannot transport themselves. We are not a taxi service.

“The idea that you can jump the queue of a busy A&E department if you arrive by ambulance is simply a modern myth.”

The trust received nearly 180,000 calls in Kent last year compared to 166,700 the previous year. An unscheduled care desk, staffed by paramedics, deals with certain calls to establish whether an ambulance is the most suitable resource for the patient.

They assess whether some non urgent calls can be better directed to other healthcare providers such as GPs and district nurses in the community.

Last year, the desk dealt with 16,400 calls of which 35 per cent either did not require an ambulance at that time or were referred to alternative healthcare providers.

The trust’s advice to avoid unnecessary 999 calls during period is as follows:

* Stock up your medicine cabinet before Christmas. Items such as cold remedies, pain killers, indigestion tablets and plasters are often useful to have in the home.

* If you take regular medications, make sure you enough to supply you over the Christmas period – and remember to keep taking them!

Make sure you know in advance the telephone number for your local out-of-hours’ doctor. Your local surgery should be able to provide you with this information.

* Keep the number for NHS Direct handy: 0845 46 47. There is also a website you can use: www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk. This can also give you advice on treatment in the home.

* Remember to drink sensibly and responsibly. In most cases, excessive alcohol consumption on its own is not a reason to call for an ambulance.

However, if an intoxicated person appears to have another complaint that gives cause for concern, or they lose consciousness and cannot be roused, dial 999.