East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) declared a critical incident on Saturday following a week of record-breaking temperatures during the UK heatwave. The service reported a significant increase in demand, compounded by ongoing pressure across the NHS, and is prioritizing responses to the most life-threatening and serious incidents.
Public Urged to Use NHS Wisely
EMAS asked the public to use NHS services wisely and to take regular medication to manage long-term conditions. For non-life-threatening illnesses or injuries, the public is advised to seek alternative care via pharmacies, urgent treatment centres, or general practitioners, including out-of-hours services.
A statement from EMAS 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.'
Collaboration with Hospitals
The service confirmed it is working closely with hospitals to facilitate prompt patient handovers, enabling ambulance crews to return quickly to answering 999 calls. EMAS is also liaising with healthcare providers to ensure patients are directed to 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.'
Escalation to Highest Alert Level
EMAS escalated to Resource Escalation Action Plan (REAP) Level 4 on Monday, the highest tier, signalling a risk of service failure without immediate action. A critical incident is defined as a localised incident where disruption causes an organisation to lose ability to deliver critical services, potentially harming patients or requiring special measures.
Chesterfield Royal Hospital stated: 'These decisions aren't taken lightly and reflect the pressure on services this weekend.' The hospital also urged the public to use alternative services for non-emergency medical concerns.
Given the additional weather-related pressures, EMAS asked the public to act responsibly and avoid unnecessary risks. The service continues to work with NHS partners to reduce risk to patients and maintain emergency ambulance availability.
