West Midlands Ambulance Service faces busy start to 2026 with 1,500 calls in just seven hours
The ambulance service faced a busy start to 2026 with more than 1,500 calls in just seven hours across the West Midlands.
A spokesman for West Midlands Ambulance Service said it had seen a nine per cent rise in call numbers compared to the previous year.
Call assessors in Stafford and Brierley Hill took 1,510 calls between midnight on New Years Day and 7am - up from 1,386 the previous year.
A spokesman said that it had been the second busiest new year for the service in recent times.
Over the two days - December 31 and January 1 - the trust took a total of 9,289 calls, slightly down on the 9,965 calls the previous year.
West Midlands Ambulance Service, Chief Executive, Anthony Marsh, thanked all those who had helped get help to those who needed it.
He said: “A massive thank you to the hundreds of staff and volunteers who worked over this period, many giving up time with their family and friends to work additional shifts and support the service through these notoriously busy periods.
“It’s not just those on the road, but the team in our control rooms and also the staff who support these colleagues in areas such as vehicle preparation, mechanics, stores, distribution and IT; it is a real team effort and I am immensely grateful for all that you have done to help the people of the West Midlands in their hour of need.”
