New Year celebrations see paramedics answer five 999 calls a minute
AMBULANCE crews across Staffordshire dealt with more than 350 call-outs during the New Year celebrations.
Paramedics in the region answered an average of five 999 calls every minute during the early hours of January 1.
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The figures included 146 call-outs between 8pm and midnight on New Year's Eve as revellers prepared to welcome in 2013.
And during the first five hours of New Year's Day, crews dealt with 213 incidents across Stoke-on-Trent and the rest of the county.
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But this was marginally down on the same period for the previous year, when there were 248 call-outs in the early hours of January 1.
Paramedics spent most of the festive night dealing with fights, assaults and falls caused by drunken party-goers.
Across its entire patch, West Midlands Ambulance Service received a total of 1,929 call-outs.
To help free-up availability of ambulances and capacity at hospital A&E departments, a temporary minor injury unit was also set up in Birmingham city centre.
Despite the busy night, an ambulance service spokesman said there were no major incidents in Staffordshire.
Chief Executive Anthony Marsh today paid tribute to the hard-working 999 crews.
He said: "It comes as no surprise to us that New Year's Eve has been the busiest night of the year for the ambulance service.
"It is a year in the planning, for which as many staff as possible work through the night to ensure patients get help when they need it the most.
"I am very proud of my staff and volunteers, who gave up their night to ensure the safety of everyone in the West Midlands."
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