North West Ambulance Service says it’s ready for the colder months

Winter usually brings a rise in flu and respiratory illnesses, more hospital admissions and an increase in injuries caused by icy weather. All of this puts extra pressure on ambulance services and can lead to delays for patients.

North West Ambulance Service says it’s going into the season in a strong position. The trust has recorded its best performance and response times in seven years and recently topped national league tables comparing ambulance trusts across England.

Dan Ainsworth, director of operations, says staff are working around the clock to support patients. He says the service has improved how it operates, investing in more ambulances and more clinicians both on the road and in control rooms, helping more people on the phone as well as in person.

But as demand rises, the public is still being asked to use 999 only in life-threatening situations. For anything urgent but not an emergency, people can use nhs 111 online via the nhs app.

Dan adds that with temperatures dropping, it’s important to take extra care outdoors.

Icy paths and poor weather can lead to slips and falls, and he encourages people to wrap up warm, check on vulnerable neighbours and make sure they’re prepared for winter conditions.

North West Ambulance Service says you should call 999 if someone has:
• signs of a heart attack
• signs of a stroke
• difficulty breathing
• heavy bleeding that won’t stop
• symptoms of serious illness or injury and their life is at risk

For everything else, 111 or nhs.uk can help with advice, repeat prescriptions, emergency medication and urgent dental or mental health support.

As part of ongoing improvements, 999 call handlers now routinely tell callers how long an ambulance is likely to take and advise if it may be quicker and safer to make their own way to hospital. Many choose to do this, helping free up ambulances for the most serious emergencies.

Only 11 per cent of the 4,500 emergency calls NWAS receives every day are for immediately life-threatening conditions. Dan says staff understand how stressful it is to call 999, but asking questions is essential to make sure people get the right care as quickly as possible. Not everyone will receive an ambulance, and some callers will instead be connected to a clinician for further assessment or advice.

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