Calls for sleeping pills and lost pets clog Welsh Ambulance 999 lines

A chipped tooth, a finger stuck in a bottle and a person who was locked out of their house are just some of the time-wasting calls made to the Welsh Ambulance Service over the last 12 months.

Of the 426,116 calls to the ambulance service last year, 63,836 (15 per cent) were not a life or death emergency – an average of 175 calls a day.

The Welsh Ambulance Service has now revealed some of the most inappropriate 999 calls it received in the past year.

They include someone who had chipped a tooth, someone whose pet alligator had escaped and someone who just wanted sleeping pills.

One person wanted an ambulance because they were locked out of their house, while another called 999 for a toenail cutting mishap.

Below are some of the real 999 calls made to the Welsh Ambulance Service in the past year:

Call 1

Operator: Tell me exactly what’s happened.
Caller: I got my finger stuck in a beer bottle and it will not come out.
Operator: Is your breathing normal for you?
Caller: Yes.
Operator: Are you bleeding or vomiting blood?
Caller: Nope.
Operator: Do you have any pain?
Caller: Yes, in my finger, yes.

Call 2

Operator: Ambulance, what’s the address of the emergency?
Caller: Hello, I’m really sorry to bother you. I think I’ve broken the front of the top of my tooth, and it’s starting to throb.

Call 3

Operator: Ambulance service, what’s the full address of the emergency?
Caller: I was cutting my nails, and I’ve cut through half of my toe. I just wondered if there was any chance someone could come out and just patch me up?
Operator: When you say you’ve cut through half of your toe…
Caller: Well, I’ve cut my little nail on the toe and I’ve nipped across the top of it.

Call 4

Operator: Is the patient awake?
Caller: Yeah, it’s an alligator.
Operator: Pardon?
Caller: It’s a pet alligator. It’s got loose and I’m scared to death. I don’t like it. I do not like it. I think it’s under the sofa.
Operator: Right, OK, we won’t be able to send an ambulance for an alligator that’s escaped.
Caller: Right, so unless I get bit?
Operator: Unfortunately, we can’t send an ambulance for an alligator. Perhaps you can ring your vet?

Call 5

Operator: Is the patient awake?
Caller: Oh yeah, there’s no problem with that. It’s just she needs to be treated on her hand.
Operator: Is she breathing?
Caller: No problem with all that, it’s a hand injury that needs sorting out.
Operator: How did this happen?
Caller: We were practicing Kung Fu.

Call 6

Operator: Tell me exactly what’s happened.
Caller: I stuck my finger in a plug socket, and I felt no effect but I’m ruling out if I electrocuted myself.
Operator: In a plug socket?
Caller: By accident, without thinking. And I’m worried that I could be electrocuted.

Call 7

Operator: Tell me exactly what’s happened.
Caller: I’ve got chickenpox and it’s getting worse. I’ve got spots on my feet as well.

Call 8

Operator: Ambulance service, what’s the full address of the emergency?
Caller: It don’t matter, I’ve just got a question, a general question, mate. My GP refuses to give me sleeping pills. How do I get hold of sleeping pills to sleep?

Call 9

Operator: Is the patient awake?
Caller: Yes.
Operator: Are they breathing?
Caller: Yes. She was trying to clean her ear with a cotton bud. The wool fell in her ear.
Operator: Is she responding normally?
Caller: Yes, she’s responding normally but she can’t hear very well with the left ear.

Call 10

Operator: Tell me exactly what’s happened.
Caller: I’m locked out of the house and I’m trying to get in.
Operator: So, what’s the reason for the ambulance?
Caller: I’m cold and I’m trying to get into the house.
Operator: OK, so you’re cold?
Caller: Yeah.

The Trust is once again reminding the public only to call 999 if someone is seriously ill or injured, or there is an immediate threat to their life.

“Our emergency ambulance service exists for those whose life is in imminent danger,” explained Andy Swinburn, Executive Director of Paramedicine,.

“That’s people in cardiac arrest, those with chest pain or breathing difficulties, loss of consciousness, choking, severe allergic reactions, catastrophic bleeding or someone having a stroke.

“Most people know the difference between an emergency and something that is just uncomfortable or irritating, but not life-threatening, so if you don’t need that time-critical intervention, it’s really important to apply common sense and make the right call.”

A new process introduced in December means that paramedics and nurses in the Trust’s control room now undertake a rapid clinical review of 999 calls to ensure patients get the most appropriate help.

Those whose condition is immediately life-threatening will continue to be sent an emergency ambulance on lights and sirens as quickly as possible, while callers whose condition is not as time-sensitive will be further triaged by control room clinicians to identify the most suitable pathway for their needs.

That could be sending an advanced paramedic practitioner at a scheduled time, a signpost to the patient’s GP, self-care advice or something else.

Lee Brooks, Executive Director of Operations, said: “Rapid clinical screening is one of a number of new approaches we’re testing in order to deliver the right care or advice, in the right place, every time, as well as improve patient safety and quality of care.

“With that said, we still need the public to take ownership of their health and wellbeing at a time when NHS services are stretched beyond measure.

“We know it’s confusing to work out how to access NHS services and which healthcare professional is best placed to help, especially when you or your loved one is ill, injured and in distress.

“The NHS 111 Wales website should be your first port of call for advice and information, or you could call 111 if it’s urgent, and our call handlers will tell you what to do next.

“You could also visit your GP or local pharmacist, where experts in medicines can offer free clinical advice and over-the-counter medicines for a range of common ailments, such as coughs, colds, rashes, aches and pains.

“At Minor Injuries Units, experienced emergency practitioners can deal with things like minor burns, bites and stings, as well as minor eye injuries.

“It’s also important to ensure you have a well-stocked medicine cabinet for things which can be treated at home, like cut fingers, headaches and sore throats.”

Chief Executive Jason Killens added: “The extreme and well-documented pressures being felt by our urgent and emergency care system are not going away.

“We need to think differently about the way we deliver ambulance services, not least for our patients, who are at the heart of all we do, but for our system partners, whose support and collaboration is key to unlocking meaningful change.

“We continue to develop our ideas and thinking around how we do that, but in the meantime, we need the public to help protect our precious resources for those who need them most.”