Ambulance crews prepare for one of the busiest nights of the year as paramedics urge revellers to celebrate safely

London Ambulance Service is making final preparations for one of its busiest nights of the year as London welcomes in 2026.

There will be more ambulances on the road and staff in our control rooms overnight on 31 December – an evening when the Service traditionally sees up to 2,000 more calls than the daily average.

During the peak time between 1am and 2am on New Year’s Day last year, a 999 call was received every 10 seconds.

The festive season has already been very busy for the service. LAS saw its busiest November on record with 999 call handlers taking 192,600 calls – over 13,000 more calls compared to the same month last year. The last weekend of the November saw LAS receive around 7,500 999 calls each day for three consecutive days – figures normally seen on New Year’s Eve itself.

The recent spike in call numbers is due to the combined impact of wintery weather and rising rates of viral infections and respiratory illnesses, including flu.

Strategic Commander Becky Owen, who is overseeing the service’s operations on New Year’s Eve, said:

“New Year’s Eve can be our busiest night of the year. We have additional resources on the roads and in our control rooms, ready to care for those who need us and keep Londoners safe.

“If you’re out celebrating, we want you to have a fantastic night, but please enjoy the festivities safely.

“If you’re drinking alcohol, make sure you have something to eat beforehand, stay hydrated with water or soft drinks, and plan your journey home. It is forecast to be cold, so make sure you wrap up warmly. This is especially important if you are drinking alcohol which can make you feel a false sense warmth even though you are getting dangerously cold. Don’t end your night in the back of an ambulance.

“Please save 999 for life-threatening emergencies. If it’s urgent, but not life-threatening, NHS 111 online can help find the right care for you. Your actions can save lives.”

This New Year’s Eve almost 140 additional staff will be working. Some of those will be working in central London patrolling the ticketed area where thousands of people are expected to attend the Mayor of London’s celebrations.

The Service will also have extra people working in its control rooms and clinical hubs. It will also open its dedicated special operations centre to coordinate and dispatch resources. The event team will work closely with police and Transport for London throughout the night.

Alcohol-related 999 calls are expected to rise during the night. Body worn cameras are being made available to those who are working to deter violence and capture vital evidence of any abuse to increase the chance of bringing perpetrators to justice.

Figures released by London Ambulance Service earlier this month revealed that there were 59 physical attacks and 96 verbally abusive incidents towards its crews and call handlers during December last year

The new data was released as part of London Ambulance Service’s campaign – All we want for Christmas is… RESPECT – which calls on the public to show respect to those caring for them on the road and in our 999 and 111 control rooms.

Drink and drugs contribute to around 40 per cent of violent incidents against crews and call handlers.

Becky Owen added that there was no excuse for abuse or violence against staff this New Year’s Eve:

“Our paramedics and call handlers should not have to face aggressive behaviour or violence while working to care for the people of London.

“999 calls are recorded and staff will be supplied with body worn cameras at the celebrations and we will work with police to bring prosecutions and push for strong penalties for anyone who assaults or abuses our staff.”

There are a range of sources of information for people who need medical help that is not a life-threatening emergency including NHS 111 online. Many urgent treatment centres stay open 24-hours a day for conditions including sprains, broken limbs and minor scalds and burns.

Advice and medication is available from pharmacies and you can use the NHS pharmacy finder to check where there is one open near you.