New Year’s plea to revellers
East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) is making a New Year’s Eve plea to revellers to start 2013 safe and well.
Tonight marks the end of more than two weeks of seasonal celebrations, which put more demand on ambulances than any other time of the year.
The last Friday before Christmas, December 21, saw EMAS deal with 2,384 emergency calls, 457 more than would normally be received on a typical Friday.
And the emergency service is expecting another spike in calls tonight.
Pete Ripley, EMAS operations director, said: “Christmas and New Year’s Eve celebrations always mean an increase in calls.
“Alcohol makes people take risks and that can lead to anything from a fall resulting in a head injury to not being able to make your way home.
“We have to deal with too many people who are so intoxicated they’re lying on the pavement alone and that’s a very vulnerable situation.
“If you’re planning on celebrating the new year also make a plan to stay safe and well that includes staying hydrated, knowing your alcohol limits and ensuring you can get home at the end of the night.”
EMAS also has a number of schemes which will be operating in towns and cities across the East Midlands on New Year’s Eve to care for those with alcohol-related illness and injury.
This includes Safe Haven in Northampton and Kettering, a partnership between EMAS, police and St John Ambulance.
EMAS paramedics work from a mobile unit to assess and treat minor injuries such as head or leg wounds and avoid patients needing to visit a busy A&E department.
Mr Ripley said: “Our service is in huge demand at this time of year.
“Schemes like Safe Haven reduce pressure on our ambulances so resources are freed up for the most life-threatening calls.
“However people can help us even further by not becoming a statistic and letting alcohol or drugs ruin their night.”
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Weather for Daventry
Wednesday 19 June 2013
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 13 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Light showers
Temperature: 13 C to 19 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: East
