Peterborough ambulance service declares critical incident over 'extreme pressures'

Residents in Peterborough have been urged to only call the ambulance service in case of life-threatening or serious injury after critical incident status was declared by the East of East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust.

A statement from the trust read: “NHS services in the EEAST region are currently under huge pressure as a consequence of 999 call volumes and hospital handover delays.

“Declaring a critical incident means we can ensure our resources are focused on patients with the greatest need, as well as allow us to access wider support from our health and care partners.

“Our staff continue to work incredibly hard in challenging circumstances, to respond to calls and incidents as quickly as possible.

"If you need to contact us because of a life-threatening condition or serious injury, then call 999. For everything else, we would urge you to please use 111 online, speak to your GP or use a minor injuries centre.”

The call comes after figures last week showed that nearly quarter of ambulance patients (165) waited more than an hour to be handed over to accident and emergency services at Peterborough and Stamford Hospitals last week.

Across England, one in six patients waited more than an hour, while one in three were left waiting more than 30 minutes – both record highs.

The service has advised people to visit their local minor injury centre, GP or to call 111 if they are able to.

The city’s minor injury centre is now contained within the City Care Centre on Thorpe Road.