West Midlands Ambulance Service 'two seconds to answer 999'

So far this year, Call Assessors in the Trust’s Emergency Operations Centre have answered emergency 999 calls in just two seconds on average.

STAGGERING: The number of 999 calls received by West Midlands Service so far this year (Image: West Midlands Ambulance Service)

Both EOC bases in Brierley Hill and in Stafford have answered a combined total of over 1,365,117 ‘999 calls’ so far this year, answering 173,834 ‘999 calls’ in October alone.

Call Assessors, Dispatch staff and Clinical Validation Team (CVT) 'work tirelessly to provide around the clock, outstanding care' to the people of the West Midlands said an ambulance service spokesperson.

QUICK: Calls are answered on average within two seconds by West Midlands Ambulance Service call assessors (Image: West Midlands Ambulance Service)

Additionally, West Midlands Ambulance Service’s EOC answer emergency 999 calls for ambulance services across the country where there is a requirement for support with ongoing demand.

West Midlands Ambulance Service’s Integrated Emergency and Urgent Care & Performance Director, Jeremy Brown said: “A call answering time of two seconds, on average, is a remarkable effort and is one that doesn’t go unnoticed.

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“This has displayed, once again, the dedication and commitment our team puts into every single shift to delivery outstanding patient care, in what has been a significantly testing time for the service.

“We are at the starting point of a patient’s journey and need to do everything we possibly can to give the best care to our patients in their hour of need.”

This week, West Midlands Ambulance Service will be sharing an insight into their two Emergency Operations Centres and some of the incredible staff within them, with the upcoming launch of the campaign ‘Is the Patient Breathing?’.

The campaign aims to raise awareness about what is happening behind the scenes when a 999 call is made and shows the contrasts between an emergency Category 1 response, and cases where an ambulance is not required but the most appropriate care referral is made.