The Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS) has been hit with a whopping 11,000 hoax calls over the past three years, wasting more than 2,000 hours of precious response time, according to a recent investigation. Medical Negligence Assist uncovered these shocking numbers, revealing that ambulance crews in Northern Ireland have had to deal with a total of 11,130 hoax calls since 2021. It’s been a real headache for them, as they’ve had to respond face-to-face to 5,457 of these time-wasting hoaxes.
In the period between April 2021 and March 2022, NIAS received a staggering 3,698 hoax calls, with 1,884 of them requiring in-person responses from ambulance crews, which ended up wasting a total of 695 hours and 21 minutes. The following year wasn’t any better, with 3,879 hoax calls and 2,101 incidents that led to face-to-face responses, eating up 798 hours and 58 minutes of the service’s time. Fast forward to 2023/24, another 3,555 hoax calls came in, resulting in 1,472 more in-person responses and a total waste of 535 hours and 59 minutes. In total, the service has spent a whopping 2,030 hours dealing with these malicious calls over the past three years, equivalent to 84 days. The ambulance service classifies hoax calls based on various chief complaints, such as the caller hanging up with no details, hoax callers, no case at the scene, nothing found at the scene, and patients absconding.
A spokesperson for NIAS expressed their frustration, stating that while the service plays a crucial role in providing emergency medical care across the region, the issue of hoax calls continues to impact their capacity significantly. These false alarms not only waste valuable time and resources but also jeopardize lives by diverting ambulances away from genuine emergencies. The spokesperson emphasized the importance of acting responsibly and reporting any misuse of emergency services, highlighting that such behavior is not only reckless but also a criminal offense. The service remains committed to saving lives and improving patient outcomes, working tirelessly to meet the needs of communities in Northern Ireland. Despite the challenges posed by hoax calls, NIAS continues to deliver vital care under immense pressure, urging the public to consider the consequences of their actions on the lives of those in urgent need.
