Ambulance Service issues urgent appeal as paramedics remain 'extremely busy”

Berkshire's ambulance service is urging people to only call 999 "in a life-threatening or serious emergency". South Central Ambulance Service is also pleading to people not to call the emergency service back for an ambulance arrival time.

The service - which also covers Buckinghamshire, Oxfordshire and Hampshire - warns that this can delay them from speaking to a caller about a "seriously ill or injured patient". The appeal, which was issued today (Sunday, July 3), that some people whose issues are not life-threatening may face an ambulance wait of two to three hours.

In a statement on Sunday, July 3, South Central Ambulance Service said: "Our 999 service remains extremely busy. If you have called for an ambulance, please don't ring back for a time of arrival. This could delay our control room team speaking to a caller about a seriously ill or injured patient.

"For calls that are not immediately life-threatening or very serious, we aim to reach you within 2 or 3 hours but this can be longer when we're very busy. Only call us back if your condition, or the person your with, gets worse or you no longer need our help".