Heatwave prompts 999 increase

Normally control room staff deal with 500 calls a day

The heatwave is pushing Sussex ambulance services to the limit with a record number of calls being made.

The hot weather has prompted a spate of calls for help from everything ranging from heat exhaustion to asthma attacks.

Sussex Ambulance is even having to draft in senior managers to staff response cars to cope with the increase in demand.

In an average week control room staff handle about 500 emergency calls each day but so far this week approximately 700 have been made.

The thousands of holiday makers who have headed to the south coast have added to the pressure meaning ambulance staff are being pushed to the limit.

Andrew Parr, Sussex Ambulance emergency planning officer, said: "It is a dramatic call on our resources. We are extremely busy.

"We have more cars available to answer emergency calls in areas where we know calls are going to peak - places like Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings - the main tourist areas."

The ambulance service is appealing to people to only make genuine emergency calls.