Ambulance services across the South West are struggling to meet demands due to lack of resources and increased patient pressures.
The Bristol, North Somerset and South Gloucester Ambulance service trust has stated that they have gone into REAP Black, which means they are under extreme pressure and at points are unable to meet demand.
An anonymous source who works for the service, say they have been asking the public to “only call 999 in life threatening emergencies.”
They went on to say “Patients have been sometimes waiting for hours for an ambulance to arrive, due to the demand.”
The BBC reported that overcrowding on wards means that some patients arriving by ambulance are stuck in queues outside.
Ambulance service leaders are saying these waiting times put patients at risk of harm.
The South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, are asking communities across the region to use it’s services responsibly this winter, in preparation for a challenging period.
In response to the demand they have released the following guidance on their website:
