AMBULANCE callouts in Essex fell during the hot Bank Holiday weekend, figures have shown.


The public have been praised after the East of England Ambulance Service recorded a drop from 2,476 Essex calls in 2016 to 2,440 this year.

This was despite record high temperatures, with the temperature on Bank Holiday Monday being the hottest for decades, according to the Met Office.

The ambulance service received more than 2,400 calls from Essex between Saturday August 26th and Monday August 28.

The East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust received 7,976 emergency calls over the course of the three-day bank holiday.

This marked a two per cent increase for the ambulance service, which also operates in Hertfordshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Bedfordshire. 

The service issued a warning to the public last week, alerting residents to an increase in calls because of the hot weather.

However, Robert Morton, chief executive of the East of England Ambulance Service, praised the public for choosing wisely.

He said: “The bank holiday weekend is reported as being one of the hottest on record for decades and usually we would see a marked increase to match. 

"Although we received almost 8,000 calls, there could have been a greater demand for our service.

“I’d also like to thank our staff, volunteers and managers for working hard to provide the best care to our patients.”