A major UK ambulance service has declared a critical incident following mounting pressure brought about by the ongoing heatwave.
As temperatures have rocketed across the UK, ambulance services have faced prolonged periods of intense strain, including those operating across the East Midlands. East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) declared a critical incident on Saturday following several days of record-breaking temperatures.
EMAS said it had experienced a “significant increase in demand” alongside ongoing pressure within the NHS, and is prioritising response to the most life-threatening and serious incidents. It also asked the public to use NHS services “wisely”, Derbyshire Live reports.
A statement released by the service read: “Over the past 24 hours, EMAS has experienced a significant increase in demand for its services, alongside ongoing pressure within the wider NHS, and the additional challenges created by this week’s extreme heat.
“These factors have combined to create a situation that has led to this level of escalation. In response, EMAS continues to work closely with NHS partners to help reduce risk to patients and maintain emergency ambulance availability.”
The service confirmed it is collaborating with hospitals to facilitate the prompt handover of patients, enabling ambulance crews to return swiftly to answering 999 calls. EMAS is also liaising with healthcare providers to ensure patients are directed towards the most suitable form of care in non life-threatening situations.
The statement continued: “Like many across the NHS, EMAS colleagues have been working tirelessly to respond to patient need. All available internal actions to mitigate risk have been taken. Therefore, a critical incident has been declared to secure additional support and help reduce the risk of avoidable patient harm.
“The public is asked to help by using NHS services wisely and by taking regular medication to manage long-term conditions. If your illness or injury is not immediately life-threatening, please seek alternative care via a pharmacy, urgent treatment centre, or general practitioner (including out of hours services) – visit the NHS website for services near you.
“Given the additional weather-related pressures being responded to, please act responsibly and do not take unnecessary risks.”
EMAS escalated to Resource Escalation Action Plan (REAP) Level 4 on Monday, representing the highest tier of escalation, signalling a risk of service failure unless immediate action is implemented.
A critical incident is defined as ‘any localised incident where the level of disruption results in the organisation temporarily or permanently losing its ability to deliver critical services, patients may have been harmed or the environment is not safe requiring special measures and support from other agencies, to restore normal functions’.
Chesterfield Royal Hospital stated: “These decisions aren’t taken lightly and reflect the pressure on services this weekend.”
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The hospital urged the public to utilise alternative services for non-emergency medical concerns.