West Midlands A&E and ambulances ‘stretched to limit’
Near-record 999 calls in the West Midlands have led A&E units and the ambulance service to say they are “stretched to the limit”.
West Midlands Ambulance Service said calls on Saturday were close to what it expected on New Year’s Eve, traditionally its busiest time.
By midnight, it had responded to 3,500 emergency calls – nearly 150 an hour.
Consultant Steve Smith, from Heartlands Hospital in Birmingham, said they had struggled to find enough beds.
He said high demand meant some patients had to be put on trolleys in corridors.
Source BBC News
