The North East Ambulance Service has today (December 27) declared a critical incident as more than 100 patients are left waiting for an ambulance.

It comes a day before ambulance workers had been due to walk out on strike on December 28, before the industrial action was called off last week.

The North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) said it is facing unprecedented pressure following the Christmas break which is impacting its ability to respond to patients.

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On Tuesday morning more than 100 patients were waiting for an ambulance, with a reduced number of ambulance crews available because of delays handing over patients at the region’s hospitals.

Ambulance bosses have urged patients to only call 999 in a life-threatening emergency, and even asked people to use 111 online rather than calling due to a high number of calls.

Shane Woodhouse, strategic commander today at North East Ambulance Service, said: “This is the second time in nine days that we have declared a critical incident due to the unprecedented pressure we are seeing across the health system.

“Declaring a critical incident alerts our health system partners to provide support where they can and means we can focus our resources on those patients most in need.

“The public should only call 999 in a life-threatening emergency. For all other patients, we are urging them to use www.111.nhs.uk, speak to their GP or pharmacist. We will be advising some patients to make their own way to hospital when it is safe to do so.

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“We know patients will be experiencing longer waits for an ambulance – please only call back if your condition worsens or to cancel if it is no longer required.

“We are experiencing greater numbers of calls to 111 right now and ask that callers please consider 111 online first and don’t call 999 unless your condition is life threatening.”

Speaking from the picket lines during the first ambulance strike last week (December 21) paramedics told The Northern Echo they’d experienced 12-hour waits to hand patients over at hospitals, with some saying they’d only seen one patient a shift due to delays.

Staff also told of colleagues leaving the profession for supermarket jobs with similar pay.

A second strike by the GMB had been due to take place on Wednesday (December 28) but was pushed back to January 11, on the same day as Unison workers will walk out.

GMB union said that the post-Christmas strike was called off following "amazing" public support.

The second round of strikes will affect the North East Ambulance Service, which described last weeks walkout as “incredibly challenging”.

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