South East Coast Ambulance Service declares critical incident

South East Coast Ambulance Service (Secamb) has declared a critical incident following one of its busiest days of the year.

The critical incident was declared on Friday, which means the ambulance service is under extreme pressure that threatens its ability to deliver safe and effective care.

Secamb, which covers Kent, Sussex and Surrey, said it followed a difficult few days and a period of sustained and significant demand.

Strategic commander James Pavey said that the service was “focusing our resources on life threatening emergencies”.

In a statement, a Secamb spokesperson said: “At the point of declaration, there were a significant number of outstanding calls waiting for an ambulance response, including a number of higher acuity incidents.

“This follows one of the busiest days we have seen this year, alongside ongoing pressure across the wider health and care system and additional demand linked to the current hot weather.”