'Only use 999 in genuine emergency'
HEALTH chiefs today warned people against calling 999 unless it is a genuine emergency because ambulance services and A&E departments are struggling to cope.
Peter Bradley, the national director of ambulance services, said the entire health system is under pressure because of the winter illness season.
His comments came after the Standard revealed that St George's Hospital in Tooting was on "black alert" when it was forced to turn away sick patients and ambulances from accident and emergency after it ran out of beds.
Mr Bradley, who is also chief executive of the London Ambulance Service, said ambulance services in England have just had their busiest week ever.
He attributed this to the coldest start to a winter for 30 years, causing a sharp increase in falls and breathing problems, combined with outbreaks of flu and the winter vomiting bug norovirus.
Mr Bradley warned that things would get worse with a rise in drink-related accidents over the next few weeks. "It has been the most difficult 10 days I have seen in the last 10 years," he said.
