Yahoo Finance Soldiers to help emergency staff as staycation sparks two 999 calls a minute
Soldiers will be deployed to help overwhelmed ambulance staff at South Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust after a surge in domestic holidays led to two 999 calls every minute.
The emergency service, which covers Bristol, Somerset, Wiltshire, Dorset, Gloucestershire, Devon and Cornwall, said it had been forced to call in the military after struggling to handle more than 3,000 emergency incidents daily.
A “small number” of soldiers would help “alleviate pressures on services”, it told the Telegraph.
The Trust’s use of military personnel comes after it declared a “critical incident” due to “extreme pressures” in May.
Just last month, the Trust recorded its busiest day, with staff responding to 3,522 cases in total – averaging two per minute either in person or over the phone.
The South West of England has been popular for domestic tourists this year as Britons were forced to cancel their getaways abroad due to the Government’s traffic travel list system.
About 400,000 people are expected to have travelled to Cornwall alone for a half-term break in May.
But the SWAS pleaded with both tourists and locals not to call an ambulance unless their condition was considered “life-threatening”.
Wayne Darch, the Trust’s assistant director of operations, told the Telegraph: “With the NHS in the South West facing increasing demand, we are using tried and tested methods to alleviate pressures on services so everyone will continue to get the care they need.
“This includes a small number of military personnel to help us get more of our vehicles back on the road, getting people the urgent care and treatment they need sooner.”
Watch: Dorset's Weymouth beach packed as Brits enjoy 'staycations'
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