Ambulance warning to those celebrating Coronation as 999 crews prepare for 5,000 emergency calls
Wear waterproof clothing, drink water and eat regularly: the ambulance chief’s warning to those celebrating the coronation this weekend as 999 crew members in the capital prepare for 5,000 emergency calls
Royal celebrants have been asked to do their part to avoid a trip to the emergency room this weekend as the London Ambulance Service prepares for a further 1,000 calls.
As Britons descend on the capital to be part of the historic coronation, LAS prepares for its own bumper weekend.
The service usually sees about 4,000 emergency calls on a Saturday at this time of year, but predicts more than 5,000 as the crowds descend for King Charles’s big day.
It predicts additional slips, bumps and falls from the crowds, as well as the risk of people forgetting to eat and drink enough water that day.
Dr. John Martin, LAS’ chief paramedic, said that while they were proud to play their part in helping the city mark the coronation, the public could help them immensely by being prepared.
London’s ambulance chiefs have urged Britons to make sure they do what they can to avoid a trip to the ER this coronation weekend as they brace for extra 999 calls
Ambulance data for March shows that heart attack and stroke patients in England, known as category two callers, had to wait an average of 39 minutes and 33 seconds for paramedics to show up. This is more than 7 minutes slower than February and more than double the 18-minute target
“There will be a lot of visitors to central London to attend the festivities, so we expect it to be very busy,” he said.
“We’re asking the public to do their part: if you’re coming to join the celebrations, remember there may be showers over the weekend, so bring a waterproof layer, wear appropriate clothing for the temperature, make sure you have regular medications with you, drink plenty of water, and eat regularly.
“People can also help us by calling 999 only in life-threatening emergencies and by using alternative services such as 111 online for advice on less serious matters.”
To help manage the event itself, LAS 265 is deploying additional staff to ensure that anyone who becomes seriously ill can receive help as quickly as possible.
LAS spent five months preparing for the coronation day operation – known as Golden Orb.
Like other ambulance services in England, LAS has struggled to meet NHS response time targets in recent months.
According to the latest data available, heart attack and stroke patients, known as category two callers, had to wait 39 minutes and 11 seconds for an ambulance in March, more than double the 18 minutes for such emergencies.
But LAS slightly outperformed the 39 minutes and 33 seconds it took on average across England for paramedics to reach such emergencies.