Paramedics urge Londoners to enjoy Halloween responsibly as they brace for a rise in alcohol-related callouts

Paramedics at London Ambulance Service are urging Londoners to celebrate Halloween safely as new figures from the past five years show alcohol-related incidents were more than a third higher on Halloween than on a normal October day[1].

The busy weekend comes as the Service is already experiencing increased demand, including a rise in patients with breathing difficulties, with elderly and vulnerable people among the hardest hit.

October is on course to be the second-busiest month of the year so far, with more than 200,000 999 calls expected, second only to July when London experienced extreme heat.

Calls for the sickest patients – known as ‘Category 1’ – have risen steadily over the month to around 480 a day. LAS would usually expect to attend around 400 on a typically busy day. This month, paramedics have also treated over 9,000 patients face to face with respiratory and breathing issues.

October has also seen more calls to 111, with a 12.5 per cent increase compared with the same period last year.

With demand remaining high, London Ambulance Service is calling on Londoners to call 999 appropriately for life-threatening emergencies.

Chief Operating Officer Craig Harman said:

“Halloween is an exciting time for many people, with parties, trick-or-treating and firework displays taking place across London.

“If you’re planning to drink, please do so responsibly, plan your journey home and be considerate of others, particularly children, older people and those who may be vulnerable.

“999 is for life-threatening emergencies. For other urgent medical concerns, contact NHS 111. This helps us reach the people who need us most.”

Londoners attending organised firework displays should follow the organisers’ safety advice. Anyone planning to set off fireworks at home should take extra care and follow London Fire Brigade’s firework safety advice.

People with non-emergency health concerns can visit NHS 111 online for advice on the most appropriate care. GP practices and pharmacies can also help with a range of common health concerns.

The recent surge in demand comes just after London Ambulance Service finalised its operational plans for this winter. LAS has been working closely with partners in the capital for many months to plan a city-wide approach to winter.

The resulting Winter Plan includes:

• LAS putting additional ambulances out on the road during peak demand
• Innovative ways of caring for patients, such as using trusted AI tools to help with recording patient notes
• More clinicians treating patients over the phone to avoid busy emergency departments
• Scaling up cleaning and vehicle repair capacity across the fleet and estates to ensure safe, clean vehicles are readily available
• Working with hospitals to ensure that patients are handed over in a more timely manner at A&E departments