Children are leading the way in knowing how important emergencies need to be to call 999.

In a video produced by the Northwest Ambulance Service (NWAS), a group of children were asked various questions about emergency calls, and what to do in an emergency.

They were also informed on how many people make calls for an ambulance when they don’t need to.

The police, Batman, and ‘my nan’ came out on top when asked whom they would call in an emergency, and when asked how an emergency needed to be to dial 999, top answers included ‘as big as a giraffe’, and ‘bigger than a giant’.

When the youngsters learned that NWAS received on average 3,500 calls a day, they were shocked, a continued response when they were told a third of those calls are from people who don’t need an ambulance.

This comes as NWAS released data that shows an increase of 13.1 per cent in 999 calls across November and December 2022 compared to the same months in 2021.

November 2022 saw 26.2 per cent more calls into the service compared to the previous year, while December had a rise of 17.3 per cent.

NWAS said that with life-threatening reasons ranging from falls and breathing problems to fainting, people are reaching out to the emergency services more than ever. 

They added that the real issue is the number of calls that are made to 999 in non-emergency situations.

NWAS said this information shows that people are still unsure of when to call them, with reasons such as repeat prescriptions and sore throats increasing the number of such calls.
Ged Blezard, director of operations at NWAS, said: “It’s fantastic to see even the youngest in our community sharing their knowledge and educating people on what to do in an emergency. 

“We continue to urge people to only call 999 when facing a life-threatening situation so we can continue to help those who need it the most in these challenging times.” 

NWAS advises local communities to think before dialling 999, and only reach out if there is a life-threatening situation or illness, including cardiac arrest, allergic reactions, continuous fits and serious head injuries, so they can continue to be there for those most in need.

For any other situations, they encourage using 111online first by checking symptoms or visiting a local pharmacy for non-urgent medical advice.