Ambulance service declares critical incident

South Central Ambulance Service has declared its first critical incident in more than a year

An ambulance trust has declared a critical incident after a surge in 999 calls requiring an urgent response.

South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS) said the critical status - its first in more than a year - was because of the severity of emergencies rather than the number of calls.

It said 70% of callers were assessed as being in the two most urgent categories, which was higher than expected.

SCAS said it was prioritising those patients while asking those with less serious conditions to seek alternative care.

The less urgent tiers - categories 3 and 4 - can include late stages of labour, diabetic episodes and patients with diarrhoea and vomiting, according to NHS England.

SCAS said pressures from 999 calls were compounded by handover delays at acute hospitals across the region.

It said the critical incident, declared at 16:20 GMT on Tuesday, enabled it to focus resources on those most in need.

The NHS trust said: "People calling 999 with lower acuity problems (category 3 and 4 patients) are likely to be advised to seek alternative care."

SCAS said no critical incidents were declared in 2023 and four the previous year, in February, April, July and December.

The trust, which covers emergencies in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire and Oxfordshire, appealed to patients to call NHS 111 where appropriate.