Ambulance chief says 'drink sensibly' over New Year after critical incident

Welsh ambulance service chiefs have urged the public to "drink sensibly" at New Year to help reduce demand on emergency services that suffered a 340-call backlog on Monday.

Jason Killens, chief executive of Welsh Ambulance Service, made the plea after the service declared a critical incident.

In addition, more than half of the trust's ambulance vehicles were waiting to handover patients outside hospitals.

Mr Killens asked the public to use the service "wisely" and only call during a "genuine emergency", adding it was prepared for the additional pressure and 999 calls.

He apologised to patients waiting "far to long" but said there were plans in place to manage the backlog of calls.

"We do have doctors, nurses and paramedics providing advice over the phone and managing less serious patients in a different way so we can respond to those much more sick patients as quickly as we can," he said.

Mr Killens also thanked the staff and volunteers for their work during the critical incident.

On Monday, the Welsh Ambulance Service described the situation as "very rare".

Speaking to Radio Wales Breakfast, Mr Killens explained that declaring a critical incident "signals the the rest of the NHS that we've got a problem, we are under extreme pressure and we need help".

Health boards in Wales have reiterated the ambulance service's message to only call 999 or come to the hospital with life-threatening symptoms or in a emergency.

A spokesperson for Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board said their hospitals were extremely busy.

They said: "None of us wants to start 2025 in a busy emergency department or in the back of an ambulance so please take care as you celebrate the new year and think carefully about whether your health need is an emergency."

A spokesperson for Hywel Dda University Health Board said their hospital sites, especially emergency departments, were operating under "extreme pressure".

A spokesperson for Cardiff and Vale University Health Board said it was experiencing operational pressures following the Christmas break.

"The increase in flu both in the community and across our hospital sites has resulted in several ward closures with 100 beds currently closed of which 10 are empty - we expect this to increase over the next few days," they said.

A spokesman for Aneurin Bevan University Health Board said their services were facing the same extreme pressures that was being reported across Wales and the UK.

"We are currently operating at a level 4 escalation status, with the demands prevalent across our entire system and unfortunately causing long waits for our services and impacting the flow of patients through our hospitals."

Dr Rowena Christmas, Chair of the Royal College of GPs in Wales said the situation was worrying and it had been ongoing for several years.

She said: "The amount of acute respiratory illnesses we are seeing at the moment is extraordinary."

Associate Director Policy and Public Affairs for Marie Curie Cymru Jon Antoniazzi called the critical incident "deeply troubling."

"While winter pressures are a constant challenge, on behalf of all people with a terminal illness and their families in Wales, we must draw a line under this and say enough is enough," he said.

A critical incident was also declared in December 2020, due to high demand, particularly in south east Wales.

But an extraordinary incident was declared in 2023 after an ambulance spent more than 28 hours outside a hospital.

The Welsh government said urgent and emergency care services across Wales continued to see high levels of demand this winter.

A spokesperson said: "We are urging people to only call 999 in the event of a life-threatening emergency and to carefully consider where to go for care. For urgent care needs, NHS 111 Wales can be accessed 24/7 online or telephone service for advice and signposting.

"Increase in flu cases has further added pressure during the Christmas period and resulted in action being taken by health boards including prevention and control measures."