One In Five NI 999 Calls Not Emergencies

According to the latest records, one in five 999 calls in Northern Ireland last year did not actually require emergency assistance.

Approximately 28,500 calls made last year did not require the expertise of a paramedic when they arrived at the scene.

Emergency crews have answered 999 calls from people needing 'emergency assistance' with nose bleeds, turning people over in bed, treating a toothache and even comforting someone who was concerned about a pet.

Paramedics' time is further wasted by hoax calls and by people who call for an ambulance only to decide not to go to hospital when it arrives.

The director of operations at NI's Ambulance Service, Brian McNeill, said wasting paramedics' valuable time could have potentially fatal results, and the emergency crews, who play an invaluable role, should be left alone to get on with their real job.

With the imminent closure of the City Hospital's A&E unit expected to create additional pressure, Mr McNeill has called for the public to act "sensibly."

"We are expecting an increase in the number of emergency calls, people who just haven't listened to the advise about changes to the City hospital and no doubt we'll have to taxi people about.

"That is all wasting resources. Those vehicles could all be on standby for the next life threatening call and if they are not available that could be very dangerous."

According to the BBC, who recently spent a morning with Belfast paramedic Eamon Ferguson, the public can often be too quick to dial 999 and as a direct result, paramedics are increasingly finding that their time is being wasted.

Mr Ferguson claimed: "We are busy 24/7. There are enough emergency calls to keep all of us on our toes - we don't need the hoax calls or the ones where people simply think we are a taxi service."

According to the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, paramedics here bring a higher percentage of people back into hospital after attending a call, compared to anywhere else in the UK.

The chairman of the British Medical Association's GP committee, Dr Brian Dunn, said people are also confused when to use the GPs' out of hours service.

He said: "Some people don't know what the difference is between accident and emergency and an out-of-hours service.

"There needs to be change not only in patient behaviour but also in patient education.

"Doctors who work in out-of-hours are already under too much pressure - that will get worse as more are directed to the GP - and we would welcome more resources to do that."

(JG/GK)