New Year 999 call appeal

Ambulance chiefs say a third of 999 calls are unnecessary

Oxfordshire Ambulance Service has asked for people to make sure they are using the 999 service for emergencies only.

Figures released by Oxfordshire's Ambulance Service (OAS) show that almost a third of emergency calls are unnecessary.

The New Year period sees the service deal with an estimated 30% more calls than usual.

A spokesman for the service is asking the public to use common sense over the next few days.

Damian Jolly, the OAS Director of Operations, said: "Up to 30% of 999 calls to the service do not need an emergency response.

"That means our staff may unnecessarily risk life and limb travelling at high speed, under blue lights."

He said that if the injury was not too serious it would be better to get a taxi into casualty, and those who arrived in an ambulance would not get preferential treatment.