AMBULANCE bosses have urged people not to call 999 unless they believe it is a genuine emergency this Christmas.

Leaders at the West Midlands Ambulance Service NHS Trust have issued a statement urging people to go to their GP and pick up remedies from pharmacies rather than dial 999 during the busiest time of the year for ambulance crews.

Posters are to be displayed on ambulances to remind people that 999 calls are for life-threatening conditions and emergencies, such as choking, chest pain, stroke, serious blood loss or a state of unconsciousness.

In Worcestershire, there were 557 calls in just five days between Monday, December 14 and Thursday, December 17, only about a tenth of which were necessary.

A West Midlands Ambulance Service spokesman said: “Every day, the service receives more than 2,000 999 calls, only ten percent of which are genuine emergencies. Clearly in these situations, it is entirely appropriate for people to dial 999 to access emergency care.

“The remaining 90 per cent of calls consist of more minor cases, such as minor cuts and wounds, strains and sprains or coughs, colds, flu and generally feeling unwell, that can be dealt with by other areas of the NHS, such as doctors’ surgeries, pharmacists and walk-in centres.

“We also get calls from those who turn to us knowing it’s not life-threatening, but we will still get to them quickly. A recent case involved an ambulance crew being called to a man who wanted a dressing on a wound changing.

“When asked why he had called for an ambulance, he said he knew we would be with him within minutes of the call. The crew spent half an hour changing a dressing, time which could have been spent responding to a genuine life-threatening call.”

Ambulance chiefs have said the public can help keeping their medicine cabinet stocked with common remedies for coughs, colds and headaches as well as items such as sticking plasters for minor wounds and grazes, visit their local pharmacy for over-the-counter medicines and advice, use NHS Direct, walk-in treatment centre or visit a minor injuries unit, GP or make use of the out-of-hours service.