THE Ambulance service is urgently appealing to Devon people to think carefully before dialling 999 due to the extreme demand it is currently facing following the four-day Christmas break.

The South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) reports that at 11.30am today, Wednesday, there were 482 patients waiting for ambulances across the South West, with 106 patients awaiting handover at hospitals across the South West.

SWASFT’s deputy director of Operations, Wayne Darch, said: ‘Please help us to help the patients who need us most by only calling 999 if a patient has a life-threatening condition or illness.

‘If the condition of a patient is not life-threatening we may direct them to an alternative service. So please help us by accessing the right service for the care you need.

‘We are doing all we can to manage these winter pressures and we are sorry that we are unable to respond to some patients as quickly as we would like. We will get to you as soon as we can.

‘Please do not call back simply to ask for an estimated time of arrival of an ambulance. We cannot provide one, and it blocks our lines for other callers.

‘I’d like to reiterate SWASFT’s thanks to our people and all our NHS partners working to deliver the best possible care they can for patients over the festive period.’

Which service should you access?