'999? I’ve chipped a tooth!’ Inappropriate calls to Welsh Ambulance Service revealed
The Welsh Ambulance Service has shared details of some of the inappropriate calls made to 999 in the past year.
Among them were someone who had chipped a tooth, someone whose pet alligator had escaped and someone whose finger was stuck in a beer bottle. One person wanted an ambulance because they were locked out of their house, while another called 999 for a toenail-cutting mishap.
Of the 426,116 calls to the ambulance service last year, 63,836 (15 per cent) were not a life or death emergency – an average of 175 calls a day.
The Welsh Ambulance Services University NHS Trust is reminding the public only to call 999 if someone is seriously ill or injured, or there is an immediate threat to their life.
Andy Swinburn, executive director of paramedicine, said: “Our emergency ambulance service exists for those whose life is in imminent danger.
“That’s people in cardiac arrest, those with chest pain or breathing difficulties, loss of consciousness, choking, severe allergic reactions, catastrophic bleeding or someone having a stroke.
“Most people know the difference between an emergency and something that is just uncomfortable or irritating, but not life-threatening, so if you don’t need that time-critical intervention, it’s really important to apply common sense and make the right call.”
