“Please get vaccinated”: Paramedics ask Londoners to follow flu advice following busiest ever November

Paramedics at London Ambulance Service are calling on all Londoners who are eligible to get vaccinated against flu to help the Service care for patients with the most life-threatening emergencies.

The Service is also urging the public to manage simple flu symptoms by seeking advice from their local pharmacy or NHS 111 online.

London Ambulance Service (LAS) had its busiest ever November on record with 999 call handlers receiving 192,600 calls – over 13,000 more calls compared to the same month last year.

Over the weekend, LAS took around 7,500 calls each day – figures normally more typical of New Year’s Eve.

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, and these are expected to rise further in the weeks ahead.

Chief Medical Officer Dr Fenella Wrigley, said:

“We are extremely busy and our 999 control rooms are taking a number of calls from people with flu or similar viral illnesses. This week is looking challenging as we try to reach everyone who needs our help as quickly as possible.

“Flu can make you feel very unwell, but most healthy people recover with rest, fluids and products available at your pharmacy to manage symptoms. We need our clinicians to be available to help the people who are more seriously unwell with flu or other conditions.

“Most colds and flu are caused by viruses, so a good place to get advice is your local pharmacy. If you’re still worried after talking to your pharmacist you can contact the 111 service for further advice, but please use 111 online in the first instance.

“I strongly urge all eligible people to get a flu vaccination. The vaccine is available to anyone aged 65 or over, those caring for the elderly or living with someone with a weakened immune system, those with long term health conditions or who are pregnant.

“In addition, a large number of children and young people are eligible and I would strongly recommend that they get vaccinated as this will help to reduce transmission.”

London Ambulance Service has been working closely with partners in the capital since the summer – earlier than ever before – to plan a city-wide approach to winter.

The resulting Winter Plan – which went live last week includes:

• Putting 460 ambulances out on the road during peak demand.
• Ensuring we have more clinicians providing clinical advice, supporting and treating patients over the phone to avoid busy emergency departments.
• Working closely with hospitals to reduce delays handing over patients who have been taken to emergency departments and freeing up our ambulance crews and clinicians to respond to the next 999 call.

Notes to editors

• Over the weekend we took numbers of 999 calls more typically seen on New Year’s Eve.
• On Thursday LAS received 7,356 999 calls, on Friday 7,608 999 calls, Saturday, 7,409 calls (the three busiest days of 2025 in a row) and 6,776 calls on Sunday. This is compared with around 5,500 on a typically busy day.
• Friday’s total was more than 20% higher than on the previous Friday (6,392).
• These compare with volumes usually seen on New Year’s Eve, often the Service’s busiest day of the year.