Ambulance bosses to release 'shocking' and 'inappropriate' clips from 999 calls

Ambulance bosses are set to release audio clips from 'shocking' and 'inappropriate' 999 calls to highlight that they should only be contacted in an emergency.

The service is calling for people to appreciate their own ambulance service by not calling them over non-emergency matters.

People are being warned they don’t need an ambulance if they have lost their keys, if they need a lift home from a night out or if they have seen a scary hedgehog - which are all examples of the types of calls the service has received.

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As part of a week-long awareness campaign, a midlands-based service will be releasing audio clips from 999 calls to highlight the “shocking examples of inappropriate calls”.

They will also be tweeting live from one of their control rooms whilst they spend a day with a 999 call assessor.

Jeremy Brown, West Midlands Ambulance Service’s general manager, responsible for emergency operations centres, said: “My control room staff are currently dealing with around 3,000 999 calls a day.

“Despite us being an ‘emergency service’, it’s truly shocking what people consider to be appropriate to call 999 for.

“We’re here for genuine life-threatening emergencies such as chest pains, cardiac arrests and difficulties breathing.”

The audio will be released via the service’s social media accounts.