Ambulance Service thanks voluntary sector for support

The Trust - which has stood down from the 'major incident' declared on Wednesday 6th January due to the heavy snow that fell across the region - praised the dedication and support of the voluntary sector, the public and staff, and said it was "very grateful" for the support received from St John Ambulance Service, the British Red Cross, community first responders and 4x4 vehicle owners.

The St John Ambulance and the British Red Cross provided the Trust with 4x4 vehicles, ambulances, officer support and ferried some staff to and from work to ensure maximum cover across the region.

Many 4x4 vehicle owners offered their support, providing vehicles to help staff get to and from work. Some staff remained on station (some for many days) to ensure they were able to carry out their shifts.

Between 7am and 9am on Wednesday, 6 January, SECAmb saw a 37 per cent increase in calls on previous day and 20 per cent increase in incidents.

SECAmb's Director of Operations, Sue Harris said:

"We would like to thank every voluntary agency and members of the public who provided assistance. We are extremely grateful for their support and dedication throughout a difficult time. We would also like to say a big thank you to all our staff who did a tremendous job under very difficult circumstances.

"The public can continue to help us by only calling 999 in the event of a serious emergency '“ we don't want to dissuade anyone from calling for our help if they genuinely need it but, if someone's call is less urgent we would ask people to consider whether they could get support and advice from other NHS providers such as calling NHS Direct on 0845 4647 or visiting a local NHS walk-in centre."

South East Coast Ambulance Service is one of 11 ambulance services operating in England. It covers an area of 3,600 square miles and a resident population of 4.5 million across East and West Sussex, Brighton & Hove, Kent and Medway and Surrey.