999 calls soar as Black Friday hits

New figures show the number of 999 calls on Friday – dubbed Black Friday by emergency services – rose by 26 per cent in Shropshire compared to the same night last year.

This year, West Midlands Ambulance Service received 88 calls between 8pm on Friday and 4am this morning – up by 18 on last year.

But to deal with the anticipated surge in calls, the trust ensured more resources were available across the region.

Gold Commander for the evening, Nathan Hudson, said: "First of all, I'd like to thank our staff for their fantastic response to a very challenging evening.

"They worked really hard in often difficult circumstances dealing with patients who were often very much the worse for alcohol.

"We put a lot of planning into the evening and everything worked very well, which ensured we were able to provide a high level of service to patients, right across the region.

"I'd also like to thank the public, who in the main, followed our advice and looked after their friends who they were out with.

"It certainly looked like people were having a good time and celebrating Christmas, which is exactly what we were hoping they would be able to do."

There were rises in call numbers in Birmingham, the Black Country and Shropshire, but falls in Coventry & Warwickshire, Staffordshire and Herefordshire & Worcestershire.

In total across all areas there were 1,159 calls this year, compared with 1,155 over the same period last year.

WMAS said it worked with partner agencies - Birmingham City Council, Central Accident Resuscitation Emergency (CARE) Team nurses and doctors, Community First Responders and volunteers from the British Red Cross, St John Ambulance and West Midlands Police - to provide a Temporary Minor Injuries Unit and City Centre Treatment Unit in Birmingham City Centre.