More than 13,000 emergency calls handled by West Midlands Ambulance Service over Christmas bank holiday

Over the three days between Christmas Eve and Boxing Day, the trust said it took 13,274 emergency calls.

It was slightly down on the same period in 2022 when 13,606 calls were taken, but ambulance bosses said it was still extremely busy and have thanked staff for their hard work.

The trust's chief executive, Anthony Marsh, said: “I would like to thank the many thousands of staff who worked over the Christmas period while most people were enjoying time with their family and friends.

“It is not just the staff on the road who worked so hard; I want to particularly note the work of the staff in our control rooms.

"These staff are at the forefront of everything that we do, finding out where we are required but also what is wrong with the patient so that our ambulance crews know what they are going into.

“The task at hand for our call handlers and dispatchers is often just as difficult as that experienced by our road staff; they all work exceptionally hard.

“I also want to thank the staff who support these staff, be it the vehicle preparation operatives who clean, fuel and restock the ambulances; the fleet mechanics who make sure we always have ambulances available but also the managers who look after the staff - it is a real team effort.”

The trust is recruiting to a range of job roles.

For more information visit jobs.nhs.uk