Public health
fromwww.bbc.com
1 week agoAmbulance demand spikes as flu season worsens
999 call volumes in London have surged 20%, driven by a severe flu strain and low vaccination uptake, straining ambulance services and prompting winter measures.
In the last year, just 15% of all 999 calls to the Metropolitan Police have been for genuine emergencies, the force has said. Non-emergency calls included someone who had a spider in their room, another whose dog would not come back into their house, and others who have had no-show delivery drivers. The force said the calls, which totalled 1.87m between July 2024 and July 2025, took up valuable call handler time and stopped them from dealing with genuine emergencies.