North West Ambulance Service calls for responsible drinking

North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) is calling on the region’s party-goers to drink responsibly whilst enjoying themselves during the festive season, and to think before they dial 999, so that paramedics are able to deal with life threatening incidents.

This Friday – ‘Mad Friday’ as it’s traditionally known – the Service is expecting a spike in emergency calls, as people get into the festive spirit and the Christmas party season steps up a gear.

Christmas parties and nights out do tend to take place all throughout December and last Friday night was a particularly busy evening as the ambulance service dealt with around 1,800 emergency incidents between 6pm and 6am on Saturday, that’s a 6% increase on last year’s ‘Mad Friday,’ a number which is expected to rise even further this weekend.

NWAS Director of Operations, Ged Blezard said: “The Service is incredibly busy and we don’t have spare paramedics and ambulances to deal with the extra calls which occasions such as ‘Mad Friday’ present us with. This means that we really need people to take some responsibility for their own safety during this busy period.

“In genuine life-threatening emergencies, time matters. If people stop and think about their actions and try not to have one too many during the festive period, they can help us to get to the vulnerable and very poorly people that really need us – it could be on of their relatives relying on us.

“Come the morning after, it is also important to remember hangovers, headaches and feeling under the weather after a night out can generally be treated in your own home using medicine from your local pharmacist and getting plenty of rest and fluid.”

Remember, 999 if for life-threatening and potentially life-threatening emergencies only. Those who need medical help that is not an emergency are urged to make the right call this Christmas and choose the relevant alternative such as self-care at home, pharmacy, GP, walk-in centre or 111.