London Ambulance Service recorded the highest number of life-threatening emergencies in its history on Wednesday, with paramedics saying the rise had been “driven by extreme heat”.
Ambulance crews responded to a record 642 category one calls, which include the most serious, life-threatening injuries and illnesses such as cardiac arrests and patients who are not breathing.
Temperatures reached 36.1C at Gosport in Hampshire on Wednesday, setting a new record for June, as infrastructure and public transport around the country struggled to cope with the heatwave.
The record was broken again on Thursday when a provisional temperature of 36.4 was reached in Yeovilton, Somerset, on Thursday.
Paramedics said Wednesday was the fifth busiest day in the service’s history, with 7,900 calls in total and ambulance crews responding to nearly 3,600 patients in a single day.
In a statement, the service said the rise in calls was “linked to the hot weather”, with crews responding to more people who are fainting, struggling to breathe or experiencing heart problems. Paramedics warned that patients can become “seriously unwell very quickly” in the heat, and that respiratory and heart-related incidents can increase in the days following a heatwave.
It added it had put more than 400 extra ambulance crews on the road this week to help keep patients safe in the extreme heat, and urged Londoners to drink plenty of fluids and stay out of the sun between 11am and 3pm.
People are also being encouraged to check on neighbours, relatives and friends who may be more vulnerable to the effects of the heat.
Chief executive Jason Killens KAM said: “We have seen the highest number of life-threatening emergencies in our history, driven by the extreme heat across London.
“Our crews are working very hard in challenging conditions to care for patients and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all our people for their incredible hard work.
“Please help them to help you by taking care of yourself and others – stay out of the sun and keep hydrated.”
The heatwave has seen trains delayed, passengers advised not to travel, and a hosepipe ban enforced in Kent as people battle the extreme weather.
The Met Office expects the “exceptional spell of hot and humid weather” to continue until Friday night, along with thunderstorms that will bring heavy rain and lightning to most of the UK.
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