Ambulance service warns of 999 call delays as North East heatwave continues

The North East Ambulance Service has issued a statement via its social media channels, highlighting the problem and urging people not to call 999 unless in a genuine emergency.

The service’s Twitter feed says: “The BT 999/112 service is currently experiencing a continued significant increase of 999 calls.

“This may result in a slight delay in some emergency calls being answered by BT.

“Please only use 999 for life threatening emergencies to allow calls from those in the greatest need.”

The service has asked people to keep an eye on the vulnerable with the hot weather of recent days showing no sign of letting up.

Yesterday was the North East’s hottest day of the year so far, with temperatures pushing 30C (86F) and the sunny spell is forecast to last through the week.

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