DESPITE it traditionally being the busiest night of the year, 999 calls were answered and cases responded to more quickly than ever before in the West Midlands.
On New Year’s Eve night, across the region calls were answered in just one second on average.
The Trust’s two control rooms, based in Brierley Hill and Stafford, saw a 3.5 per cent increase in the number of calls received between 7pm on New Year’s Eve and 6am on New Year’s Day but thanks to months of planning and preparation, calls were answered quickly.
In total, the Trust received 2,140 calls during that time, compared to 2,068 the year before, though there was a fall in the number of calls received on New Year’s Day, down to 4,152 in 2019 compared to 4,442 12-months earlier.
Planning for the festive period started in the summer and staffing levels were maximised for New Year’s Eve and there were more staff and ambulances on the roads than ever before to ensure patients continued to receive the highest standards of care possible.
West Midlands Ambulance Service chief executive, Anthony Marsh, said: “I am incredibly proud of the way that our control room staff were able to answer calls incredibly quickly on such a busy night, just as they do throughout the rest of the year.
“That, together with the hard work of ambulance staff who were out responding to the calls helped to ensure patients received care as quickly as possible. I would like to thank everyone involved for putting the public before themselves and their families.”
