Ambulance Dispatch Chaos: Non-Urgent Calls Flood UK 999 Lines”
Description: Thousands of non-urgent calls are tying up emergency dispatch lines, delaying response to real emergencies.
In several ambulance trusts, dispatch centres report that a significant proportion of calls to the 999 line turn out to be non-urgent — including requests for help with minor ailments, transport to routine appointments, or even misplaced items. These calls use up precious time and resources that should be deployed to life-threatening emergencies.
Dispatchers are calling for better public awareness and upgraded triage systems to filter calls. Enhanced software and decision-support tools could help identify true emergencies and prioritize them. Some trusts are trialling AI-assisted systems or remote evaluation via video or call to reduce on-scene load.
Forecasts in the UK Emergency Medical Device Services Market Report
show that call-triage technology and dispatcher support devices are among the fastest-growing device categories through 2035.
Tags: dispatch, non-urgent calls, call triage, EMS technology, UK ambulance services, emergency lines
