London Ambulance Service is gearing up for its biggest night of the year when thousands of revellers descend on the city to welcome in the New Year.
As Londoners ring in the New Year, sirens will ring out across London as New Year’s Eve is expected to be an exceptionally busy night for London Ambulance Service. They are appealing to party-goers to drink sensibly and only call in a genuine emergency. Last year, London Ambulance Service took over 600 calls an hour when normally it would only take around 180.
Assistant Director of Operations, Katy Millard, who is leading the Service’s response on New Year’s Eve, said: “It will be a busy night for us across the capital as Londoners go out to celebrate. But we’re also expecting hundreds of thousands of people to attend the event in central London.”
To help respond to anyone who becomes unwell or injured in the event area, 200 St John Ambulance volunteers will run 13 treatment centres. While medics in the event area will work in teams of three – a paramedic, technician and St John Ambulance volunteer – on foot, carrying full medical equipment with them, including a defibrillator, oxygen and a carry sheet to use as a stretcher. They will be able to weave in and out of the crowds where it is too busy to take an ambulance.
Katherine Eaton, Events Manager for London St John Ambulance, said: “If you need medical help make your way, if you can, to one of our treatment centres. In an emergency ask for help – or get a friend or passer-by to do it for you – from a steward, security official, first aid volunteer or police officer. Only dial 999 as a last resort.”
Katy added: “Many of the people we are called to on New Year’s Eve have injured themselves or become unwell because they’ve had too much to drink.
London Ambulance and London St. John Ambulance are hoping people will have a good time, but not get so drunk that they need an emergency ambulance and the help of two medics. They are asking people not to let this happen to you as they need to ensure their ambulances are available for those who genuinely need them on what we’re expecting to be the busiest night of the year.
