Paramedics call on revellers to enjoy Notting Hill Carnival safely as alcohol-related 999 calls rise

Paramedics at London Ambulance Service are calling on revellers to celebrate Notting Hill Carnival safely this weekend as the Service prepares for the biggest street festival in Europe.

This comes as figures from London Ambulance Service show that August brings more alcohol related calls than the Christmas party season, with ambulance crews attending over 9,700 alcohol-related calls and over 4,700 drug overdoses between June and August in London last year. That’s around 150 calls a day during the peak summer season.

And new figures show that 999 calls for alcohol-related incidents for June and July this year are already higher than this time last year.*

Notting Hill Carnival is an annual event that takes place in west London over the August Bank Holiday weekend and attracts up to 2 million visitors over the two days.

Natasha Wills, Gold Commander and Director of Resilience and Specialist Assets at London Ambulance Service, said:

“We hope Londoners can celebrate Carnival safely and get to enjoy the very best of Caribbean culture that our city has to offer.

“This is one of the largest events we attend each year and with a huge increase in visitors in the capital over the weekend, our crews expect to be busy both within the Carnival area and across London.

“So please remember to drink sensibly and stay safe. If you’re drinking alcohol – make sure you have a meal and try to also have soft drinks. If you’re heading out, take a bottle of water with you, and make sure to bring with any regular medication you might need.

“It is important to keep hydrated, especially if the weather is warm or you are drinking alcohol.”

“Ring 999 if someone starts to feel unwell and give as much information as possible about your location. Our call handlers will talk you through what you need to do and please listen to their advice.”

London Ambulance Service has robust plans in place to ensure it can continue to provide the best possible care to people across the capital.

To help keep carnival-goers safe during the two-day festival, the Service will have an extra 180 people on duty at the event. Most of these will be clinicians getting to patients in crowded areas on foot or by cycle.

In addition, cycle responders, operational commanders, critical care teams and ambulance crews will be on standby at the event.

There will also be teams working in our Specialist Operations Centre (SOC) and fixed treatment centres as part of the joint medical control, as well as in event liaison facilities in logistics and support roles.

Natasha added: “Our teams are always here to help if you need us, but we would ask that people follow advice, use our services wisely and contact your GP, pharmacy or NHS 111 where possible. Londoners can continue to help us by only calling 999 in a serious medical emergency.”

Some local pharmacies may have different opening hours this bank holiday. For advice or medication from a pharmacist in London, use the NHS pharmacy finder to check which pharmacies are open near you.

ENDS

Alcohol-related 999 calls for summer 2025*

• June: 3,302
• July: 3,267
• Total so far: 6,569

Alcohol-related 999 call volumes for summer 2024

• June: 3,137
•  July: 3,145
• August: 3,475
• Total: 9,757

Drug overdoses – 999 call volumes for summer 2025

• June: 1,488
• July: 1,572
• Total so far: 3,060

Drug overdoses – 999 call volumes for summer 2024

• June: 1,588
• July: 1,556
• August: 1,566
• Total: 4,710