April 28, 2011 12.59 pm This story is over 155 months old

Ambulance bracing for Royal Wedding boozers

Be careful: Lincoln’s ambulance service are hoping people will drink responsibly so they do not clog up 999.

With the warmer weather, the Royal Wedding on Friday, and a four-day weekend, more people will be celebrating with alcohol over the coming days.

Alcohol is biggest cause of accidents in the UK and the East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) expects to be very busy with alcohol-related incidents this weekend.

EMAS is urging Royal Wedding and bank holiday celebrators to drink responsibly, so they do not need to call 999.

An EMAS spokesperson said: “A lot of people will be celebrating this weekend and some may over indulge.

“All too often our ambulance crews have to deal with people who’ve had too much to drink.

“This poses a risk to the wider public because while we are dealing with an alcohol related incident, we can be delayed getting to someone suffering from a medical illness such as a heart attack or stroke.

“Sadly, heavy drinking can also lead to incidents of domestic violence and a rise in assaults, including those against ambulance staff who are trying to help.

“Our message is clear — don’t ruin the festivities by drinking too much, enjoy yourself but be sensible.”

EMAS is also advising people with more minor conditions to make use of the new 111 service before calling 999, speak to a pharmacist or call the GP out of hours service.

Source: EMAS | Photo: Andrew Dubber