East Of England Ambulance Service (EEAST) Asks For Public’s Help Ahead Of Easter Bank Holiday

The East of England Ambulance Service (EEAST) is asking for the public’s help, as it prepares for a busy Easter Bank Holiday weekend.

The service is urging the public to plan ahead and take extra care over the long weekend, which is the first bank holiday since COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted.

Emergency service

The East of England Ambulance Service asks for help by choosing the right service when medical attention is needed. If it is not a life-threatening emergency, EEAST urges to use NHS 111 which is also available online and helps direct you to the most appropriate service.

If it is a life-threatening emergency, EEAST urges to call 999 immediately. Each call EEAST receives is prioritized by clinical need – from a category 1 (life-threatening injuries and illnesses) to a category 4 which are less urgent calls.

High volume of Emergency calls

The public can help us reach the patients who urgently need our help by planning ahead and taking extra care"

Marcus Bailey, the Chief Operating Officer at EEAST, said: “Our services have been extremely busy over the past few weeks and we go into the spring bank holiday into anticipation of a busy weekend."

He adds, “The public can help us reach the patients who urgently need our help by planning ahead and taking extra care – particularly if you are out and about – and using our services wisely if you do need medical assistance. If you are unsure which service you need, please think NHS 111 first which is available 24/7 and helps direct you to the most appropriate service.”

Avoiding emergency in the Easter

EEAST asks to follow this advice to avoid an emergency in the Easter:

• If someone has a long-term condition, they should make sure to have enough of the prescription medication to get through the long weekend.
• If someone is feeling unwell, it is advisable seek medical advice before Easter starts. EEAST advices not to let the condition deteriorate.
• Make sure the medicine cabinet is fully stocked, so that common ailments, such as colds can be treated at home.
• It is also adviced to be prepared for changes in the weather.
• EEAST advices to understand limits and alternate alcoholic drinks with soft drinks or water, if someone is going out drinking.
• EEAST also advices to be safe on the roads and allow plenty of time for journeys. EEAST suggests to keep distance from the car in front to help avoid accidents.
• EEAST advices to be mindful of COVID-19 infections that are still currently very high in the community.

Helping EEAST

Following are the ways that people can help EEAST during the Easter:

• Avoiding multiple people calling about the same incident or patient.
• One call will provide EEAST with the information needed to send help. Multiple callers for the same incident tie up the lines and prevents EEAST from helping others also in need at that time.
• EEAST call handlers cannot provide the caller with an estimated time of arrival for an ambulance. If one is calling back and the patient’s condition has not changed, EEAST advices to tell the concerned person at the start of the call. EEAST is very busy and trying to get to the sickest patients as quickly as possible.
• Always let EEAST know if one no longer need an ambulance. If one no longer need an ambulance or are making own way to hospital, EEAST requests to let them know so that crews can help someone else.
• EEAST requests not to use aggressive or threatening behaviour with the staff. EEAST appreciates that all 999 calls are important and people can be scared or upset when they call. However, this will not help get care to the caller quicker and can lengthen the call, further delaying help to the caller or others.