CHOOSE well this bank holiday weekend.

That’s the message from ambulance chiefs who are expecting a particularly busy few days, and are asking people to consider the options if requiring medical assistance.

As illustrated by the injured elderly woman’s almost three-hour wait for an ambulance in Weymouth, as reported in Thursday’s Echo, the ambulance service is under immense pressure.

South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust (SWASFT) is expecting more than 11,000 calls over the weekend.

It asks residents to help staff and volunteers to help those most in need by only calling 999 in a life threatening emergency and #ChooseWell

SWASFT is making more staff and vehicles available to combat the increased demand and is also advising members of the public to stop and think before dialling 999 for an emergency ambulance and to consider alternative treatment options if appropriate.

Examples of when to call 999 include choking, chest pain, stroke, serious blood loss and unconsciousness. Using 999 correctly helps our paramedic crews to reach those patients most in need of clinical attention.

Alternative healthcare options for less serious conditions include; visiting your local pharmacy, visiting a minor injuries unit or NHS walk-in centre, or calling NHS111. You can also find information and advice at www.nhs.uk

Dr Andy Smith, Medical

Executive Director of SWASFT, says: “We are predicting a busy time ahead and although we have more resources out, we only have a finite number of ambulances and highly-trained paramedic crews available. This means we will, as always, prioritise and focus on those patients in a time-critical life-threatening condition.

“We’re committed to delivering the right care, in the right place, at the right time for the 5.5 million residents and the 23 million visitors we serve in our region. But we’d like to ask the public to stop and think ‘is this an emergency?’ before dialling 999.”

People visiting the south west this May bank holiday should also remember to bring any essential medicines and stock up on repeat prescriptions before they travelas many pharmacies will have reduced opening hours across the long weekend.