Wellington Free Ambulance is urging people to save 111 for emergencies, after services around the country received a record number of calls on Sunday – with one waiting more than seven minutes to be answered. 

At its peak on Sunday, St John and Wellington Free Ambulance recorded 2322 calls nationwide into its main centres – about 100 more calls a day than the previous record. 

In a statement made yesterday, St John said there had been reports of record wait times of up to seven and a half minutes for a 111 call to be answered. 

Wellington Free Ambulance Clinical Communications centre executive director Kate Jennings told Nick Mills on Newstalk ZB Wellington Mornings it had been the busiest non-New Year period ever. 

"We had the busiest 24-hours that was not a New Year's Eve 24-hours," she said. 

"Other than that, it was our busiest 24 hours in history, and that includes last winter when we had the RSV peak when we were also seeing record levels." 

"On top of that, we are no different from anywhere else in the country with our staff being affected by Covid and having to isolate, so we were down quite a number of our staff." 

St John and Wellington Free Ambulance recorded 2322 calls nationwide into its main centres on Sunday. Photo / Ben Fraser 

Jennings said while one caller waited seven minutes to speak to an operator, the vast majority were answered far quicker than that. 

"Ninety-seven per cent were answered in under two minutes, which is still a long time – our target is actually 15 seconds," she said. 

St John Clinical Director Tony Smith said people had been calling for matters that did not require an ambulance, such as people with headaches wanting advice, or asking how to get a Covid-19 test. 

"We know the current Omicron outbreak in the community is causing anxiety and some 
people's Covid-19 symptoms are making them feel miserable," he said. 

"We understand the discomfort and uncertainty can be stressful, but most people with Covid-19 can safely manage their health at home without needing an ambulance." 

Jennings said in non-Covid times there might have been more capacity to point people in the right direction. 

But a combination of staff shortages and a higher volume of calls meant many health settings were experiencing long delays – causing people who felt nervous to contact 111 instead. 

"If people are struggling to get through or they're just not sure or they just want to talk to someone for advice, we are often literally the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff." 

"It really makes a difference at the moment when our staffing levels are down, so we have impacted ability to answer the phone, and we have more people ringing." 

"So, we're really asking people to consider – if you just need advice, or you're not sure – please use the other alternatives and only keep 111 for true emergencies." 

Jennings said people should continue to call 111 for emergencies that were "life or limb-threatening", and Wellington Free Ambulance would always have the resources to take and respond to those calls 

"If you've got severe bleeding, severe difficulty breathing, severe chest pains, you think someone's had a stroke, or someone's been badly injured in a car accident – please continue to call 111." 

"But if you've been ill for a few days and you're just not feeling right, please consider calling Healthline or your GP." 

- by Sophie Trigger, NZ Herald