South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) is calling on the public to use the 999 service wisely in order to reduce pressure this winter.

Emma Williams, deputy director of operations at the service, which operates in Kent, asked callers to follow the advice of the call handlers while warning that there will be times when lower priority requests "wait longer than we would like".

The service revealed that in the last 12 months, seven percent of calls responded to (47,514) fell into the most serious life-threatening category which require an average seven minute response.

Meanwhile 36 per cent of calls (246, 461) were triaged as a lower priority category responses, which ambulance services aim to respond to within two hours.

Each day staff in the control rooms receive dozens of calls asking for the ambulance's estimated time of arrive, which are still within the timeframe set out by the 999 call taker, for the paramedics to arrive.

People are asked to listen carefully to the call taker and only call back if a patient’s condition worsens. This helps ensure emergency operations centre staff are as available as possible to answer new 999 calls and arrange an appropriate responses.

SECAmb deputy director of operations Emma Williams said: “We typically handle in excess of 2,000 999 calls each day and behind each call is someone who needs help.

"The help they need and the timeframe in which they need that help varies and we, of course, must prioritise our response to our most seriously ill and injured patients.

“We will respond to all patients as quickly as possible but it is a small percentage of our calls which result in an immediate ambulance response. We ask that people follow the instructions of our call takers as our emergency operations centre staff look to arrange the appropriate response.

"We also know that, in order to protect our response to our most serious calls, there will be times when lower priority calls wait longer than we would like. If this is the case we will make welfare calls to patients waiting for a response to check their condition hasn’t worsened.

“This year has of course been extremely challenging for the ambulance service. I have no doubt that the dedication and professionalism shown by our staff and volunteers will continue into the colder winter months and I urge the public to do everything they can to support us to manager our demand.”

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