Critical Incident Stood Down As Ambulance Service Remains Under Pressure

South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) has stood down the critical incident it declared during last week's heatwave as temperatures begin to fall.

The trust declared the incident on Thursday after experiencing sustained and significant pressure during the spell of extreme heat, describing it as one of the busiest periods in its history.

Demand for emergency care surged, with 999 calls increasing by 28% compared with the previous week. Between Wednesday and Friday alone, ambulance crews and control room staff handled more than 13,600 emergency calls.

The trust's NHS 111 teams serving Kent, Medway and Sussex also experienced a sharp rise in demand, taking more than 9,200 calls over the same three-day period – an increase of more than 10% on the previous week.

John O'Sullivan, SECAmb's strategic commander, thanked staff, volunteers and support teams for their efforts during the exceptionally busy period.

He said they had shown "extraordinary commitment and resilience throughout this challenging period".

Although the critical incident has now been stood down, the ambulance service says it continues to experience high levels of demand and is urging people to use NHS services appropriately.

The public is being reminded to call 999 only in life-threatening emergencies and to consider alternatives, such as NHS 111 or their GP, where appropriate.