Is the emergency ambulance service abused?

Abstract

Analysis of 1000 consecutive patients brought to the accident and emergency department of a busy district general hospital by ambulance after emergency “999” telephone calls showed that 51·7% of these journeys were unnecessary. Medical cases accounted for a greater percentage of necessary calls than did trauma and surgical cases. Medical education of the public is essential if the number of these calls is to be cut. © 1980, British Medical Journal Publishing Group. All rights reserved.