Text messages are being sent to 999 callers deemed low priority instead of ... trends now
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Text messages are being sent to 999 callers instead of ambulances because of a shortage of crews.
Six out of ten ambulance trusts in England admit they now send SMS alerts to callers when a medical team is at first unavailable.
The trusts that do this insist it happens only when the patient is deemed low priority, or to enable ‘welfare checks’ at times of extreme pressure.
A total of 511 people died before reaching A&E in England last year because of breakdowns in the emergency response system and ambulance shortages, according to a recent report.
This is more than double the 220 who died in similar circumstances the previous year.
Text messages are being sent to 999 callers instead of ambulances because of a shortage of crews
An MoS probe into ambulance texts began after an elderly Arsenal fan collapsed with breathing problems at a north London station after last Saturday’s home game.
A passer-by called 999 and was told an ambulance would arrive within 20 to 45 minutes. Twenty minutes later a text was sent to the caller’s phone saying none were available and the patient could be ‘given water’.
London Ambulance Trust Service said later: ‘Our records show
