One 999 call every 12 seconds for Yorkshire Ambulance Service over New Year

CALL handlers at Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) dealt with one 999 call every 12 seconds at one stage during the New Year celebrations.

The YAS received 1,302 requests for emergency response over the 12-hour period from 6pm on New Year's Eve to 6am on New Year's Day - of which 53 per cent were received between midnight and 6am on January 1.

The busiest time was between midnight and 4am when there were 96 emergency calls to assaults. 

YAS said many of the calls received were alcohol related.

Ben Holdaway, locality director at Yorkshire Ambulance Service, said: “As always New Year’s Eve was a busy time for us and we received a high volume of alcohol-related calls, particularly in the early hours of the morning.

“Our community medical units and police and paramedic teams provided valuable support and were able to treat people who had too much to drink or those who had sustained minor injuries without them needing to go to hospital.

“In the early hours of New Year’s Day we received a significant number of emergency calls to patients who had been assaulted while out celebrating the start of 2016. Clearly this is distressing for those directly involved, but it also places extra pressure on us and partner services.

“New Year’s Eve aside, demand for our service continues to increase. So our New Year’s message for 2016 is to remind members of the public to use the 999 service wisely, choose their healthcare options appropriately and help us to ensure our vital resources are available for those with a genuine life-threatening emergency.”