East Midlands Ambulance calls are highest they have ever been, says emergency call handler
An emergency call handler for East Midlands Ambulance Service says they're receiving double the amount of calls than what they used get on busy periods like New Years Eve
Emergency call handlers for East Midlands Ambulance Service have said they are the busiest they have ever been.
Since the start of the pandemic, GPs have been working shifts in the Nottingham call centre, treating some patients over the phone.It is designed to relieve the pressure on paramedics and hospitals as Covid-19 cases climb again.
Lucy Lester, emergency call handler said: "We're receiving double the amount of calls that we would normally receive on like a Friday night, Saturday night or New Year's Eve, almost on a daily basis.
"When you can see that there are 10 to 15 calls waiting to be answered...you do start sort of thinking that it's quite scary and what if somebody that I know is in that queue?"
Before the pandemic, the centre took around 92,658 calls in October 2019.That has increased by more than 114,679 in October 2021.
As the waiting times and the number of calls tick up, more resources have been brought in.Air ambulance doctors and GPs are working outside their normal practice house - doing shifts in the control room to provide senior-level support to patients.
Dr Mark Folman, Deputy Medical Director said: "We have the access of many of the patients, GP notes....we can recommend alterations to medications, withholding of medications so that they need not necessarily go to hospital and we can also safety-net them and say you don't need to go today."
Those feeling the pressure on the frontline say the extra help from doctors back at base gives patients a better experience.
Ashley Price, who is a paramedic, said: "Since the doctors have been in control, it gives us a senior medical decision-maker that will compliment our face to face assessments.
"Having that GP on call because we all going out to the urgent care presentations, having that expertise of years and years of dealing with that, they can link in with the teams, can advise us as to what that best pathway for that patient is and as a result, we're leaving more people at home safely."
But with a rise in calls, comes slower response times and some difficult decisions for staff.