Ambulance service asks people to only call 999 if it's an emergency
South East Coast Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust is asking the public to only dial 999 if it's a serious of life threatening emergency as it prepares for what it expects to be a busy bank holiday weekend.
Recent weeks have seen an increase in 999 calls to the Trust with SECAmb handling close to 70,000 calls so far in May.
With warmer weather forecast for the weekend, which can typically result in further increases in calls, it is reminding people to make use of the alternatives to 999 if they are not facing a serious emergency but still need medical advice.
Throughout the weekend, people are asked to make use of NHS 111 both by phone and online at 111.nhs.uk and to seek advice from healthcare professionals including pharmacists.