Ambulance service demand up 16% since last year

Demand on the South East Coast Ambulance Service (Secamb) has risen by almost a fifth since last year, it has been revealed.

The ambulance service, which covers Kent, Sussex and Surrey, said it expected demand to continue to be high throughout summer.

In the three weeks between 22 June and 12 July, with temperatures regularly reaching more than 30C, call operators handled about 78,000 calls – up 11,000, or 16%, since the same period last year.

NHS 111 calls also increased in Kent, Medway and Sussex, rising to more than 72,000 in the same period – up more than 10% on 2025.

Secamb is urging the public to only dial 999 in a life-threatening situation, adding that it was working to prioritise responses for the most seriously ill and injured.

Anyone not in an emergency was likely to be called back by a clinician, it said.

John O'Sullivan, of Secamb, said: "This has been one of the busiest starts to summer we have experienced.

"With the continuing warmer weather and school holidays, we know that demand on our services and the wider NHS will remain high over the coming weeks."

He added that the public could play a role in helping by only calling 999 in a life-threatening emergency and by considering other options for help and advice.

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