Lost keys and nightmare among needless 999 calls

More than a quarter of the one million calls the ambulance service received last year did not need an ambulance

A set of lost keys and a bad nightmare were among needless 999 calls to the South West's ambulance service, bosses say.

The NHS's South Western Ambulance Service Trust (SWAST) said more than a quarter of the one million calls it received in 2024 did not require an ambulance.

Other inappropriate calls included someone who hurt their finger playing football, a lost walking stick, and someone who fell off a chair - while already in hospital.

William Lee, from the SWAST, said "inappropriate" calls tied up emergency lines and "divert valuable resources away from those in genuine need".

'Keep 999 available'

He said people should call 999 "responsibly and only for life-threatening emergencies".

"We understand that some callers with non-urgent complaints genuinely need help, but it's essential to keep 999 available for those who are facing the most critical emergencies," he said.

The SWAST, which covers Cornwall, Devon, Somerset, Dorset, Bristol, Wiltshire and Gloucestershire, said it managed about 2,650 incidents a day, rising to more than 3,000 on busy days.

It said options for people with non-life-threatening medical issues included calling 111, contacting their GP or getting advice from a pharmacy.