Heat pushes ambulance calls to pandemic levels

The ambulance service is under pressure because of the hot weather

London Ambulance Service (LAS) says it is facing demand not seen regularly since the peak of the pandemic.

It comes as the hot weather, thunderstorms, pollen count and pollution have caused a spike in people having breathing difficulties, LAS says.

On Monday, 529 patients reported suffered breathing difficulties - double the number from a week ago.

In total, the service received 7,751 999 calls, almost as many as the 8,041 on New Year's Eve.

'Extremely busy'

LAS added that it saw calls reaching 8,000 daily at the peak of the pandemic. The usual average is about 5,000.

The service is asking the public only to call 999 in a life-threatening emergency.

LAS chief medical officer Dr Fenella Wrigley said: “Due to the warmer weather, thunderstorms, high pollen count and pollution, we are extremely busy and facing demand we have not seen since the Christmas 2021-22 peak of the pandemic.

“We are doing everything we can to reach people who need us as quickly as we can but are very sorry that some people are waiting longer for our help.

“We are maximising the number of staff in our control rooms and out in ambulances and response cars and working with NHS partners and hospitals to ensure patients are handed over as quickly as possible to free our ambulances to respond to the next patients."

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has extended a yellow weather heat alert until Monday.

The alert means the weather is seen as unlikely to affect most people but could have an impact on the vulnerable.