Emergency service condemns drunken abuse on busiest night

From the Salisbury Journal, first published Tuesday 10th Jan 2006.

DRUNKEN revellers who repeatedly call 999 demanding assistance have been criticised by Wiltshire Ambulance Service.

Medical director for the county's NHS ambulance trust Fiona Jewkes said the lack of patience and abusive manner shown by many callers was unacceptable.

Dr Jewkes's comments follow one of the busiest New Year periods for the service, with the number of 999 calls up 28 per cent on last year.

Dr Jewkes spent the night triaging calls and said she was concerned at the number of drunk people inappropriately demanding the services of an ambulance crew.

"We had to deal with a number of apparently intoxicated callers who were ringing on behalf of someone else and who were abusive and swearing at the control room staff," she said.

Many of the problems arose when inebriated friends of patients hurriedly tried to explain their condition to control staff and rang back repeatedly until the ambulance arrived.

Read the full story in this Thursday's Journal.

Archive Home