Ambulance service stands down critical incident

A critical incident declared by South East Coast Ambulance Service (Secamb) during the heatwave has been stood down as temperatures ease, but managers have said the trust continues to face high demand.

Secamb declared the incident on Thursday after facing sustained and significant pressure during the period of extreme heat.

Managers described it as one of the busiest periods the trust had ever seen.

They said demand rose sharply, with 999 calls increasing by 28% compared with the previous week, and more than 13,600 calls handled over Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Teams responding to NHS 111 services for Kent, Medway and Sussex handled more than 9,200 calls over the same three-day period, an increase of more than 10% on the previous week, Secamb added.

John O'Sullivan, strategic commander for the trust, said staff, volunteers and support teams had "shown extraordinary commitment and resilience throughout this challenging period".

He said the trust remained busy and urged people to continue using services "wisely".

People are still being asked to call 999 only in life-threatening emergencies and to consider alternatives such as NHS 111 or their GP where appropriate.

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