It was a busy weekend for hard-working staff at West Midlands Ambulance Service with a sharp rise in the number of 999 calls compared to previous years.

Over the five days from the 24th to the 28th of December, the Trust took no fewer than 22,826 emergency calls. This compares to 19,467 for the same dates in 2019 and is equivalent to a 17.3% increase. Trust Chief Executive, Anthony Marsh, said:

“I would like to thank the many thousands of staff who worked over the Christmas period while most people were enjoying time with their family and friends.
 
“It is not just the staff on the road who worked so hard; I want to particularly note the work of the staff in our control rooms.  These staff are at the forefront of everything that we do, finding out where we are required but also what is wrong with the patient so that our ambulance crews know what they are going into.
 
“The task at hand for our call handlers and dispatchers is often just as difficult as that experienced by our road staff; they all work exceptionally hard.
 
“I also want to thank the staff who support these staff, be it the vehicle preparation operatives who clean, fuel and restock the ambulances; the fleet mechanics who make sure we always have ambulances available but also the managers who look after the staff - it is a real team effort.”

Mr Marsh added that the public can assist the ambulance service by using the NHS 111 service - other by phone or online for urgent advice and only calling 999 in life threatening cases. You should also avoid calling back to see where the ambulance is or if there is an ETA – only call back if the patient’s condition has worsened or you no longer need an ambulance.
 
If you fancy the challenge of joining such a fantastic team, the Service are currently recruiting for a wide range of job roles including student Paramedics, call assessors, vehicle preparation operatives and fleet mechanics.  You can find full details on the NHS Jobs website.